How to explore Scott Alexander's work and his 1500+ blog posts? This unaffiliated fan website lets you sort and search through the whole codex. Enjoy!

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9 posts found
Jul 11, 2023
acx

Why Match School And Student Rank?

9 min • 1,124 words • 639 comments • 279 likes • podcast (8 min)
Scott Alexander explores various explanations for why top students attend the best colleges, including optimistic views about maximizing potential and cynical views about signaling and 'privilege laundering'. Longer summary
Scott Alexander explores the question of why top students are sent to the best colleges, presenting both optimistic and cynical explanations. He discusses the potential benefits of matching high-performing students with expert teachers, but also considers the signaling theory of education. The post delves into a fascinating hypothesis about elite colleges functioning as 'privilege laundering' machines, mixing meritocratic and privileged students to create a universally recognized signal of merit. Scott examines the potential advantages and drawbacks of this system, concluding that while imperfect, it may be preferable to alternatives that completely disregard merit. Shorter summary
Dec 09, 2022
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Bobos In Paradise

44 min • 6,150 words • 171 comments • 60 likes • podcast (38 min)
Scott Alexander presents highlights from reader comments on his 'Bobos in Paradise' book review, covering critiques of the book's thesis, discussions on elite education, and debates on social class dynamics. Longer summary
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to reader comments on his review of 'Bobos in Paradise' by David Brooks. The comments cover various aspects of the book's thesis about the rise of a new 'Bobo' elite class, including doubts about its historical accuracy, discussions on Ivy League admissions policies, debates on the merits of hereditary aristocracy, and other interesting tangents. Scott provides his thoughts on some of the comments and highlights areas for further exploration. Shorter summary
Dec 01, 2022
acx

Book Review: First Sixth Of Bobos In Paradise

26 min • 3,505 words • 720 comments • 160 likes • podcast (25 min)
Scott reviews David Brooks' thesis on how a 1950s change in Ivy League admissions policy reshaped American elite culture and society. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews the first sixth of David Brooks' book 'Bobos In Paradise', focusing on Brooks' thesis that a change in Harvard's admissions policy in the 1950s led to the replacement of the old WASP aristocracy with a new meritocratic elite. This shift had far-reaching consequences for American culture, values, and social trends. Scott explores how this theory might explain various phenomena, from changes in architecture to political polarization, and considers its implications for understanding modern elites and social dynamics. Shorter summary
Feb 18, 2021
acx

Book Review: The Cult Of Smart

65 min • 8,989 words • 1,131 comments • 388 likes • podcast (53 min)
Scott Alexander reviews 'The Cult of Smart' by Freddie DeBoer, praising its main arguments while criticizing several aspects, particularly DeBoer's stance on education reform. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reviews Freddie DeBoer's book 'The Cult of Smart', which argues that intelligence is largely innate and that society's obsession with academic achievement is misguided. The review praises the book's main theses but criticizes DeBoer's arguments on race, meritocracy, and education reform. Alexander particularly takes issue with DeBoer's support for expanding public education despite acknowledging its limitations, leading to a passionate critique of the school system as harmful to children. Shorter summary
Feb 18, 2021
acx

Highlights From The Comments On Cult Of Smart

61 min • 8,427 words • 492 comments • 73 likes • podcast (49 min)
Scott Alexander responds to comments on his review of 'The Cult of Smart', addressing criticisms and expanding on topics like charter schools, meritocracy, and education reform. Longer summary
Scott Alexander discusses various reactions to his review of Freddie DeBoer's book 'The Cult of Smart'. He addresses criticisms of charter schools, clarifies his stance on meritocracy, and elaborates on his negative experiences with schooling. The post also explores ideas about reforming education systems, the tension between order and freedom in schools, and ways to empower less advantaged people in society. Shorter summary
Feb 14, 2020
ssc

Addendum to “Targeting Meritocracy”

3 min • 322 words • 524 comments • podcast (4 min)
Scott Alexander revisits his 'Targeting Meritocracy' post, realizing the disagreements stemmed from different fundamental perspectives: mistake theory vs. conflict theory. Longer summary
Scott Alexander reflects on his previous post 'Targeting Meritocracy' and the disagreements it generated. He realizes that the core of the disagreement stems from different perspectives: mistake theory vs. conflict theory. Scott originally wrote from a mistake theory viewpoint, assuming good government is about solving problems efficiently. However, he now understands that those who disagreed likely approached it from a conflict theory perspective, where good government is about serving specific class interests. This realization helps explain the stark difference in opinions and reinforces the importance of identifying fundamental assumptions when encountering seemingly inexplicable disagreements. Shorter summary
Jun 19, 2018
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The GATTACA Trilogy

26 min • 3,565 words • 133 comments • podcast (24 min)
Scott Alexander writes two satirical sequels to GATTACA, critiquing discrimination based on epigenetics and educational background. Longer summary
This post is a satirical continuation of the movie GATTACA, imagining two sequels that critique different forms of discrimination. In 'GATTACA II: EPI-GATTACA', the focus is on epigenetics, where people are judged based on their ancestors' life experiences. In 'GATTACA III: EDU-GATTACA', the discrimination is based on which college one attended. Both stories follow a similar structure to the original GATTACA, with the protagonist Vincent trying to overcome societal barriers through deception. The stories end with Vincent's brother Anton helping him and Vincent realizing that he wants to change the discriminatory system, not just escape it. Shorter summary
Jul 25, 2017
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Highlights From The Comment Thread On Meritocracy

22 min • 3,068 words • 277 comments
Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to various criticisms of meritocracy from commenters, arguing that despite its flaws, meritocracy is preferable to alternatives like cronyism. Longer summary
This post discusses various criticisms and concerns about meritocracy raised in the comments of a previous article. Scott Alexander summarizes and responds to several key points, including the definition of meritocracy, its application in different fields, potential negative consequences, and alternatives. He addresses concerns about meritocracy creating a disconnected elite class, stripping lower classes of leadership, and the challenges of truly implementing a merit-based system. Scott argues that while meritocracy has flaws, it's still preferable to alternatives like cronyism, and criticizes some anti-meritocracy arguments as being utopian or impractical. Shorter summary
Jul 24, 2017
ssc

Targeting Meritocracy

14 min • 1,877 words • 605 comments
Scott Alexander defends true meritocracy against misguided critiques, arguing for a system based on demonstrated ability rather than educational credentials. Longer summary
Scott Alexander responds to various articles criticizing meritocracy, arguing that these critiques often misunderstand the concept. He defines true meritocracy as positions going to those most capable, regardless of their background or education. The post argues that the current system, which heavily relies on educational credentials, is not truly meritocratic. Scott suggests that fields should focus more on demonstrated ability rather than formal education, using programming as a positive example. He emphasizes the importance of defending the term 'meritocracy' to maintain a clear alternative to the current flawed system. Shorter summary