Congrats on year one! Your depopulation post in particular was an inspiration for me. Really got me thinking (and, by turning me on to the estimable Dean Spears, got me to start interviewing people).
Would love to see what you and Derek come up with—and more generally, good luck with year two!
Great piece! I am working on my own year-end roundup and feel exactly the same way- I was thoroughly burned out on academic writing and am now reinvigorated by writing on here. Looking forward to year 2!
"Those babies robbed me of sleep and sense; I developed some appalling phone habits while they slept on top of me" Hard relate. I developed a bad scrolling habit and staying up too late during the pandemic with the first baby. Have a 2 month old sleeping on me right now.
2026?: subscribe to @theonepercentdetrans to better understand philosophical and sociological aspects of trans medicine which is what makes gay rights distinct from trans
Like you, I’ve turned more or less exclusively to non-academic writing. It *is* more fulfilling, in part because it reaches more people. For me, the ROI of producing yet another academic publication is just too low.
The great news is that many people outside academia—who were but no longer are students, or who never got the chance—need and in fact *want* to think philosophically. They want to have people experienced in the field take them on intellectual journeys to places they had never imagined. That’s huge fun to me. (So is teaching intro philosophy, for similar reasons.) Here’s hoping my first year on here goes even somewhat as well as yours did.
This is great - thanks for writing this up! I'm having a very similar experience. I am trying to produce similar content, I think. It takes time, and sometimes feels thankless and invisible... but at other times feels incredibly rewarding. I hope you keep going, I look forward to reading more!
Thanks for the post. Without disagreeing with you, my way of putting the left's problem is their inability to start from the way things are and their penchant for only engaging with questions of the way they ought to be. The right do the opposite - responding to this performance with "If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle". "Suck it up" something I spoke about here. https://youtu.be/qw8Ff_d2sHg?t=195
Congrats on year one! Your depopulation post in particular was an inspiration for me. Really got me thinking (and, by turning me on to the estimable Dean Spears, got me to start interviewing people).
Would love to see what you and Derek come up with—and more generally, good luck with year two!
Love your Substack Dan, one of my favorites.
Great piece! I am working on my own year-end roundup and feel exactly the same way- I was thoroughly burned out on academic writing and am now reinvigorated by writing on here. Looking forward to year 2!
"Those babies robbed me of sleep and sense; I developed some appalling phone habits while they slept on top of me" Hard relate. I developed a bad scrolling habit and staying up too late during the pandemic with the first baby. Have a 2 month old sleeping on me right now.
2026?: subscribe to @theonepercentdetrans to better understand philosophical and sociological aspects of trans medicine which is what makes gay rights distinct from trans
Have really enjoyed following you Victor! Excited to keep reading in year two :)
Congratulations Victor, I’ve been enjoying regularly getting to talk to you here!
Like you, I’ve turned more or less exclusively to non-academic writing. It *is* more fulfilling, in part because it reaches more people. For me, the ROI of producing yet another academic publication is just too low.
The great news is that many people outside academia—who were but no longer are students, or who never got the chance—need and in fact *want* to think philosophically. They want to have people experienced in the field take them on intellectual journeys to places they had never imagined. That’s huge fun to me. (So is teaching intro philosophy, for similar reasons.) Here’s hoping my first year on here goes even somewhat as well as yours did.
Thanks for the shoutout, and yeah, always happy when a new VK piece drops!
Ditto!
“I’d give it all up for a byline in The New Yorker.” So many good jokes in this piece.
I would like to see you write more about evolution and psychology. The list of upcoming pieces sounds based, though.
“ Maybe think twice next time before inviting me to contribute to your edited volume? Or not inviting me? I find both extremely upsetting.”
Too real!
I’m surprised that you and Daniel Muñoz both started so soon before me - you’ve already hit your stride quite well! Thanks for the kind words.
Excited for you to send off that book and get back to important writing here ;)
Thanks for writing! Reading you and other academic folks here very much motivated me to start my own substack
Congrats. Looking forward to more spicy posts.
I find you are much too blinded by ideology to be much help.
This is great - thanks for writing this up! I'm having a very similar experience. I am trying to produce similar content, I think. It takes time, and sometimes feels thankless and invisible... but at other times feels incredibly rewarding. I hope you keep going, I look forward to reading more!
ariesam.substack.com
Thanks for the post. Without disagreeing with you, my way of putting the left's problem is their inability to start from the way things are and their penchant for only engaging with questions of the way they ought to be. The right do the opposite - responding to this performance with "If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle". "Suck it up" something I spoke about here. https://youtu.be/qw8Ff_d2sHg?t=195
congrats on a great ‘25!
thanks for the book rec lol