This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
That link is hilarious. I wish Yud would have been brave enough to get into the weeds of wizarding genetics in the story.
Blood theory's main claim is probably not true in the story, but what Harry and Draco found should have been more than enough for Draco to pivot into a more scientifically-defensible version of it, and him not doing so feels close to a plot hole with how hard he was searching for a way to hold onto his beliefs. Also, the boys were only really testing the gene that allowed someone to use magic - they could have done a lot more in trying to isolate what influenced the level of magic power someone had.
Even in-story, Harry is pretty manipulative here:
Draco could have pivoted into a more scientifically defensible version, if he had more time and less pressure, and he outright comes up with those pivots later for the 'why is Hermoine a good spellcaster' problem. But Harry's certain that it wouldn't matter, because he'd need an explanation that could be tested, and once you speak a lie, the truth forever becomes your enemies. With Hermoine, she might have been a pureblood adopted or raised unknowingly by muggles, but to someone who's seen how you test a hypothesis, seriously, that explanation only exists so long as it's put to the proof, and can't be an excuse any longer. Once you tell a lie, the truth becomes ever after your enemy.
((This is... naive, to be blunt, and not just in the casual 'some intelligent people can lie to themselves' way. But it was 2008, the Sequences took it in the same sense they took Kahneman.))
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link