Why I Publish Here
Why I Publish Here
The reasons are pretty obvious. First, I have been academically cancelled, so I find it difficult these days to get my work published in the usual places. Second, and equally important, the form of my recent writing is not standard academic form: it is concise, reference-free, and straight to the point. Third, there is just too much of it: no publisher could take on such a large quantity of writing, especially in the form in which it is written. Fourth, I get to write in exactly the way I want to write without having to cater to referees and editors. Fifth, the publishing process is instantaneous; no waiting a year or more till it comes out. Sixth, I simply have too many ideas to write them all up in standard academese; it would take a lifetime. Seventh, this way I can publish all over the world and not just locally. Fortunately, the internet exists, or else I would have thousands of pages of unpublished material just lying around (or I would just not have bothered). What is not true is that this blog is a kind of diary or just whimsical reflections; it is primarily a place for me to publish my philosophical results (as they used to say). And the truth is that I mainly write for posterity these days.
I can think of one more good reason for publishing this sort of thing: clarifying one’s thoughts. Don’t know about everyone, but I think best when I compel myself to put words down on paper or on a screen. To my way of thinking, this is an end in itself. If posterity appreciates it, great. If not, then as Kurt Vonnegut would say, so it goes.
That’s a good reason for writing things up, but why publish them if it’s just to clarify one’s ideas? I publish mine because I think they are worth publishing.