I believe that a thread has the potential to be very popular if the specific topic is geared towards a common user’s interest. I noticed that a lot of people here like cats, so I thought that users would be motivated to make posts in my thread for that particular reason.
Also create a balance between control and freedom. It is is your thread, so you get to choose how to direct the discussion. Meanwhile, give participants some freedom.
Also choose how much you want to monitor and respond to people’s comments in a thread. It’s important to keep up if you have the desire to keep a thread going, but be fair to yourself and allow yourself to have a life outside of the website.
Also determine whether you have the desire to maintain a thread. If you’re no longer interested in your own thread anymore, it’s okay to stop making comments and allow it to end naturally.
So, I know I said a lot. I can give suggestions on how I think people will get interested in a philosophical topic. Come up with a question that you think would apply to many users. For example, you can define your way of using logic in chess and then ask others if they agree and for them to express their own opinions about chess logic.