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MA's avatar

I found some useful distinctions here. I might add the following:

A traditional liberal places high value on the concept of "debate". A liberal finds too much in-group agreement suspicious and intellectually stultifying; they value the ability to convincingly argue a position one does not actually hold ("steel-manning"); they see debate as a necessary part of continually testing one's ideas; they enjoy a little "devil's advocacy" or light trolling.

Under the ideology you call here "woke": a significant amount of in-group agreement is a necessary prerequisite for making further progress; continually having to debate first principles is intellectually exhausting; when real-world issues are at stake, "debate as sport" is a tedious distraction at best and actively damaging at worst; one recognises that one's opponents are often arguing "in bad faith".

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MA's avatar

Another potential addition:

Liberal: The way we use language reflects how the world is. Language changes naturally and slowly, not by heckling and shaming by activists. It's important to use language in a way that maximises clarity and widespread understanding. Policing the language of others is simply a way of avoiding arguing with their substantive points.

"Woke": The way we use language affects how we see the world. Language can be changed for the better by the concerted attempts of activists (think of the title "Ms.", for example). It's important to use language in a way that demonstrates and advances one's beliefs. Correcting and improving the way language is used is one of the ways new ideas can enter the mainstream.

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