Why do social movements fail: two concrete examples

Abstract

This work examines the reasons for the failure of two social movements: the Spanish Enlightenment and the General Semantics movement. The study uses historical analysis to understand where these groups faltered and draws lessons that may be applicable to contemporary movements such as Effective Altruism and the Rationality community. The Spanish Enlightenment suffered due to poor political choices, lack of public appeal and conflicts with contemporary religious institutions. The General Semantics movement, considered a precursor to modern rationality movements, declined due to in-fighting, ineffectual pedagogy and insufficient differentiation from similar concepts. Effective Altruism and the Rationality community can utilize these reflections to avoid parallel mistakes and ensure their longevity. – AI-generated abstract.