I got bit by the publishing bug in 2013. I was applying to graduate schools and I didn’t have a writing sample from my undergraduate days that I was happy with. So, I decided to write a new paper. With the help of a philosopher from the US Air Force Academy (Dr. Leonard Kahan, in whose debt I remain), I wrote an academic paper on the ethics of remotely piloted aircraft. As a matter of procedure, I had to share the paper with my commander before sharing it more widely. Not only did he like the paper, but he also thought I should try to publish it. He happened to know the editor of the Spanish language edition of our professional journal, The Air and Space Power Journal, so, that’s where I sent it. It was published in 2013. That was a profound moment for me. I realized for the first time that I, a fairly junior officer (a young captain at that time) might be able to shape the way people—maybe even senior people in my own organization—think about the world. I was hooked. Views Expressed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. That article-as-writing-sample (among other things) was enough to earn my matriculation into Boston College’s MA program in philosophy. There, my interests ranged widely. But one point of consistency was that every time a class required me to write a long (6-10k word) final paper, I decided I’d try to get that paper published. I was successful only a few times; but those few successes resulted in a published paper on Soren Kierkegaard, one on C. S. Lewis, and one on virtue ethics called, “The Martial Virtues: A Role Morality for Soldiers?” I published the Martial Virtues paper in a journal called Social Theory and Practice. At that time, it was the most competitive outlet in which I had published and I was, frankly, very proud to have written something worthy of that journal. As a philosophical writer, I’ve come a long way since then and that 2018 article leaves me a little embarrassed now. At the time, though, it was easily the best thing I had ever written and I remain convinced that that publication had an impact my admission to Oxford’s PhD program. I don’t expect you to care about any of these details except for this one: Social Theory and Practice, for better or worse, keeps a running tally of how many times each article has been downloaded. Today, in 2025, seven years since publication, my article, “The Martial Virtues: A Role Morality for Soldiers,” has been downloaded (wait for it) Eighteen times. Think about that for a moment. The best thing I had ever written, published in a high-end philosophy journal, has been enough to motivate 18 people to download and (maye even to) read it. Earlier this year, I created Views Expressed. It’s reach is limited and its growth glacial. But every week, 100-150 people open up an email from me to read what I have to say about philosophy and AI. As a friend put it to me recently, 120 people is just about Dunbar’s number. That’s a person’s entire social circle. Each week I reach nearly ten times the number of people who have downloaded that scholarly paper. I might even get to impact the way some of those people think about philosophy and AI; and what a great privilege that is. In addition to the weekly reports of people reading my work, there are, of course, also the “in real life” conversations in which many of you have reach out to tell me that something that I said informed you of something, or resonated with you, or meant something to you. For those interactions, I am especially grateful. This Thanksgiving, my family will gather around a turkey (cooked on the grill as is the Chapa way) and share what we’re thankful for. I hope you’ll have a similar opportunity. In the meantime, I mean this will all sincerity: I am thankful that you’re a Views Expressed reader. From my family to yours: Happy Thanksgiving. Views Expressed is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chapainsights.substack.com/subscribe
