Intellectual Engine

I am occasional Substack reader but maybe its time to change that. If the author is right in their argument Substack is poised to become the “intellectual engine of the 21st century,” I might be missing out. drawing a parallel to how the printing press and the Royal Society fueled the Enlightenment. He contends that just as improved communication technologies allowed Enlightenment thinkers to share, debate, and refine transformative ideas, Substack now provides a modern, open, and global platform for independent thinkers, writers, and innovators to do the same

At that early stage of ideation and innovation, you look to the intellectuals and entrepreneurs and out-of-the-box thinkers — those who are not constrained by the old world and are focused instead on the new one. You are looking for truly independent thinkers who can figure out the new ways forward that work better for everyone over the long haul.

And where do you find those kinds of people in the world of 2025?

On Substack

The company’s stance of minimal intervention, presenting itself as “pure infrastructure", has been undermined as it began recommending content and adding social features, making it harder to avoid responsibility for what is promoted on the . This is probably for the best. But the real issue is that Substack works best for writers who already have a large following; it is less effective for new or niche voices, potentially reinforcing existing hierarchies rather than democratizing intellectual discourse. I am not convinced that the the purported intellectual engine of our times can afford to ignore ideas from those who are not already well-recognized, particularly the reasons for such fame can be fairly dubious at time. There is directional point to the argument but that is about it.