The Odds of Existing: On Open Individualism and the Illusion of Death

Many people have tried to answer the question of the odds of you existing. None of them have done it well. If you are like most people, you probably believe two things: a) that you exist right now and b) that you might not have, had things gone differently in the past. This book asks the question: if both of those beliefs are correct, then what made the difference between those two situations? In other words, what made the difference between you existing and you not existing? This book represents the fruits of 20 years of me thinking about and researching about my own existence, a topic philosophers often call personal identity. It is my best argument for a belief called Open Individualism—the idea that we are all the same self. The main text is written so that even a reader who is completely naïve on the topic could start at the introduction and read through to the end and understand what I’m talking about and why I have concluded as I have. There is also an optional shadow text in the endnotes, a more in-depth argument for experts in the philosophy of personal identity. Unsolicited praise from readers of The Odds of Existing: "This was the book that started everything for me... I still think the work he does here in separating existence as such from its specific contents is genius, and gets better with every revision." -Ryan Tassone, a.k.a. CrumbledFingers "...highly illuminating and written in the clearest possible way..." "...right at the beginning of your book there were passages that connected exactly to my way of thinking, that reiterated the same thought processes that I went through—for example that one about my existence (or, consciousness) not admitting of degrees, and the distinction between content and what you call 'existence'." -Mineta Jurášková, a.k.a. Edralis "Let me state how great I find your book and the clear reasoning you use throughout. I did not get the sense that you were trying to 'grift' or 'pull a fast one' on the reader at any point. I especially love the sorites exercise in Chapter 4, which came off like it was almost a calculus proof from Leibniz or something." -Richard Schultz
ASIN: B0FXGR6WWB
VSKU: BVV.B0FXGR6WWB.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Kern, Joe
Binding: Paperback
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Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.