I'm coming from the same place as you in that I've also done debate and been upset that people can argue for stupid stuff
I don't like the "virtue signaling" formulation, rarely use it, and definitely don't use it contrasted with logic.
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That having been said, I think a theory of change that limits itself to eg Terry Schiavo is too weak. (cont)
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Science moves forward. Even morality moves forward in the sense where we don't have slavery anymore.
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Yes, people on both sides can get a lot of leverage out of screaming louder than the other side.
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But behind that, there's some signal that moves us forward.
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Maybe clearest example is success of evolutionary theory first in biology and then in public acceptance.
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We talk a lot about eg anti-vaxxers, but important to note they are < 5% of population because reason convinced the rest.
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Everything good we have, including system that has halved poverty in last 20 years, comes from this kind of thing.
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See https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/03/24/guided-by-the-beauty-of-our-weapons/ … for more discussion of this.
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