Basically, I think a good way to encourage members of the site to read more political theory would be to put some kind of marker on their profile or next to their name that shows how much and what kinds of political theory they have read. I also hope this would have the secondary effect of allowing lurkers who see disagreements to get a better feel of which side has a stronger basis for their position.
Maybe something simple like marking which accounts participate in the weekly reading series, and make it a riff on challenge coins or something.
Edit: I should specify that it would be awarded to people that are participating in discussion groups and such as a way to signify who is involved in the education side of the community.
Edit 2: Fuck It, I have been convinced that this is a bad idea. Instead how about a weekly what are you reading thread?
No, that just introduces a needless hierarchical system and facilitates the growth of "power-users" that would act like obnoxious know-it-alls who can't be criticized from "below" because they have internet credentials saying they read more books.
This in particular is an example of what we shouldn't want: People siding with/ believing somebody because they have more internet bullshit hanging off their username. Frankly, people who are well read in theory can still have dogshit takes (I've made several comments before about well-read idealists who shit on every AES country because they don't align perfectly with what they've read). They can even be literal capitalists and imperialists (like Barrack Obama)!
The "stronger basis for their position" should come by virtue of better reasoning, and better sources where applicable.
which is already a tendency on the left. The politics version of those tech people who act super obnoxious when someone doesn't know something
ugh... feelin called out rn
that's good people who never get called on their bulshit never improve as people. Everyone has flaws and if you never get called out on your flaws that's a sign you aren't in a healthy environment
true enough, recently i got sick of hearing myself rant and rave. being shouty mcsocialism is repulsive even if one is right. but no one was going to call me out! Anyway at the moment it's better to stfu and listen and ask questions, or just not engage at all (personally speaking for the time being anyway)
I agree, but I would guess that the the better educated someone is on the topic the less likely you are to see that kind of behavior. As I said to another commenter, what if the criteria was “participate in hex-bear book club” so it is less about collecting books and more about who engages with the material and the community?