Something Amazing Just Happened
I hope you'll celebrate with me.
Do you remember this logo?
It’s possible that you don’t know that I split off Deeper Stories from ThaddeusThomas.com, with Deeper Stories focusing on on philosophy and theological deconstruction. It’s early days with a new Substack. Right now, it has 25 subscribers, but it’s possible that’s about to change. I have a story to tell.
Something amazing has happened.
recently wrote:Last issue we set our readers the following challenge:
Do you know a valid (non-circular) justification for the existence of the self? In other words, can you prove that you exist? If so, send that proof in reply to this email and if it is indeed non-circular we’ll publish it, inform the world’s philosophers and major media, and send you a complimentary lifetime paid subscription to Auraist.
We had some gallant attempts at meeting this challenge, but in the end they were all circular, i.e. they assumed from the outset the very thing they were asked to prove, the existence of the self (the same error Descartes made with ‘I think therefore I am’). The above classy prizes are still on offer, though, to any reader who can prove in a non-circular manner that they are real.
I’d missed the initial challenge, but the moment I heard about and saw that it was still open, I wanted to try my hand. Did I know an argument? No, but if I started writing, I was pretty sure I’d find my way. I wrote this at Deeper Stories:
The amazing thing? I just received their response:
Perfect, i.e. I agree with every word of it. That lifetime sub should be on its way to you shortly.
Would it suit you if I publish your response on Auraist, accompanied of course by a link to your substack?
Thanks.
Sean McNulty
This is a big moment for a little Substack, my article being shared with a subscriber list that’s somewhere over a thousand! Hopefully some of them find their way over to me.
Hopefully, you’ll be tempted to check out what else I’m doing, too.
Of course, there’s ourdeeperstories.substack.com but I’ve been up to more:
When you start up a new substack, it’s lonely, so I’ve started Post Op because we need more than support for our non-fiction substacks, we need our own communities. The goal is to build them there.
Giving away books though multi-author promotions is a popular way to add to your fiction email list. It’s not targeted the way my marketing plan is, but it has the potential to make those numbers pop. I’ve started The Free Library to help promote your promotions at no cost.
Oh, that’s right. My marketing plan. Through the end of July I’m giving away lifetime “paid” subscriptions to every subscriber at literarysalon.substack.com where you can learn my no-cost marketing plan and much more.
Finally, in addition to Deeper Stories, I have a history substack that looks at classical Greece through the eyes of Renaissance Italy. It’s also brand new and could use a little love. You can find it here: sibyliad.substack.com.
This is a big moment in my 3-month old Substack journey, and I appreciate you being a part of it.
Until next time,
I’m Thaddeus Thomas.
P.S. — if you’re just visiting here:
That's great! Congratulations. I have to admit I couldn't quite follow the argument for the existence of self. I have a degree in philosophy, but these heavily technical questions rely on a lot of background work and I'm not familiar with the assumptions leading up to formulating the question. For that reason, I didn't want to criticize it. But what I wanted was a clear definition of self to test against the proof.
Good stuff dude!! That’s awesome!