Calling somebody a reactionary usually isn’t very nice. This is especially true in academic circles, where most people fall somewhere on the left side of the political spectrum. Here, “reactionary” is a downright slur. It’s a dysphemism used to tar and feather your enemies. But in this little think piece, I want to argue that, in most cases of technology regulation, the best thing we can possibly hope for is to be high-quality, attentive, responsive, and moral reactionaries, people who respond to problems as they arise rather than pretend they can see them in advance.

https://sts-news.medium.com/how-to-be-a-better-reactionary-1630b5098fbc