Scott says the Fabians “arose at a really good time to be a socialist thinker.” How much of each success was the group’s work, and how much was timing?
For cases like dueling and footbinding, Appiah says that people objected to these for a long time before they ended. Why did it take so long for them to end?
Conversely, for widow remarriage in Bengal and same-sex marriage in Taiwan, most of the populace were not convinced before legalization happened? How did the proponents make legalization go through anyway? Is this strategy legitimate and/or effective?
Vidyasagar argued from scripture about widow remarriage, the Fabians accepted being the middle-class socialists. When does working inside a tradition beat attacking it? Did the radicals for the respective causes help or hurt them?
How do you feel about colonial or colonial-like entities enforcing good social change, like in Bengal, and (sorta) Hawaii?
The boycott of slave-made goods never got beyond about 1,500 members, and Gogloza says it encouraged self-righteousness. Do purity tactics like boycotts and veganism help a cause, or mostly help the activist feel good while damaging PR?
Do you see rationalists/EA as similar to the Fabians? What do we need to do to be as effective as them? Other than rationalist/EA ideas, are there other fringe ideas today that you could see becoming mainstream in ~30 years?
When Singapore repealed Section 377A in 2022, it also amended the Constitution to stop marriage being changed through the courts, so the Taiwan route to same-sex marriage is closed. If you wanted to change something in Singapore, which method would actually work?
Location
Meet at Holland Village MRT Exit B (underground part) at 3 pm. We will wait for everyone to gather for 5-10 mins, and then head over to my nearby apartment. If you've been here before, feel free to come directly to the apartment (though you may need to wait to be let in).
Some snacks will be provided. There are many restaurants and a hawker centre nearby, if you want to buy your own food.
This week we're going to take a look at some movements that successfully managed to bring about social change, and see what we can learn from them.
Readings
Discussion
Location
Meet at Holland Village MRT Exit B (underground part) at 3 pm. We will wait for everyone to gather for 5-10 mins, and then head over to my nearby apartment. If you've been here before, feel free to come directly to the apartment (though you may need to wait to be let in).
Some snacks will be provided. There are many restaurants and a hawker centre nearby, if you want to buy your own food.
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