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sockpuppet2  9d ago (astralcodexten.com)   2511 thread views

Scott: Come On, Obviously The Purpose Of A System Is Not What It Does

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This made me reflect that I hadn't actually thought critically about the phrase (at least, commensurate to how often it's used). For fun, if you think the purpose of a system is what it does, write what you think that means, before reading Scott's critique, then write if you've updated your opinion. For example: I think it's a useful way of re-framing obviously dysfunctional systems, so as to analyze their dysfunction, but Scott is persuasive that it's not a good means of understanding systems, in general, so people should be more cautious about adopting this framing and using the phrase, rhetorically.

(Spoilers go between two sets of "||")

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at least, commensurate to how often it's used

I can count how many times I've heard it used on one hand honestly. What sub community is it actually used all the time in? I would assume it's a kind of death of the author but applied to systems thing, which is mildly useful.

What sub community is it actually used all the time in?

The Dissident Right picked it up recently, and I've seen it around, but it's usage isn't terribly common.

I would assume it's a kind of death of the author but applied to systems thing, which is mildly useful.

Yup, that's exactly it.

The Dissident Right picked it up recently, and I've seen it around, but it's usage isn't terribly common.

Interesting, maybe it's just the examples being used but it screams leftist to me.

I think some people made that observation as well, the argument seems to have roughly the same shape as "muh systemic racism".

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