Scott Alexander (author/host)

Charolais.

Hmm.

Arendelle.

I want to make another point.

If it's a conspiracy, why didn't the Duke d'Alençon or Dunois spill?

They rebelled against the king eventually, but never said a word about Joan being any sort of fraud.

Charolais, Joan was their friend.

They were neck and neck with her in it, and they didn't want to incriminate themselves or betray her.

Arendelle, Charolais, you've read about this court, its rapid changes of policy, its sudden and inexplicable shifts of method, Charles VII's inability to make any decision without second-guessing it, all shot through with Venetian spies.

Can you actually believe anyone in it is qualified to run a conspiracy without it being exposed five minutes in?

Charolais.

Okay, I'll admit that part's tricky.

3.4.

She is, in truth, come to accomplish magnificent things in this world.

I think this is where I'm supposed to put what I learned from Joan of Arc.

First, I learned that she's really, really cool.

I talk about God stretching down his hand to alter history, and I'm really not sure I believe it happened, but Joan feels like a giant middle finger to all the people who talk about history being deterministic.

Sometimes you get a great woman, and then history does something really weird.

I also kind of feel called out by God.

So, you say you're a rationalist.