B-TIER inspiration
Eigen-virtue — cosine similarity map of virtues toward flourishing
100k ft — What is this?
Eigen-virtue — cosine similarity map of virtues toward flourishing
50k ft — Why care?
Riffing on the 'eigenslur' idea, the creator asks whether virtue could be the eigenvector pointing toward human flourishing, frames it with Plato's Meno, and builds a cosine-similarity heat map of virtue words in JupyterLab. It's a playful framing, and the creator admits the result is subjective.
10k ft — Key takeaways
• Embedding similarity can probe abstract concepts like virtue, though value judgments stay subjective.
• Plato's Meno makes a good illustration of the difference between examples and definitions.
5k ft — Tools & techniques
JupyterLab
cosine similarity, word embeddings
1k ft — Deep-dive / try it
#philosophy #math #mathematics #science #engineering
Transcript excerpt
the eigenslur, the one slur to rule them all. This video about the eigenslur is not about one ultimate slur. Rather, it's this idea that you can capture the vector direction or the mathematical essence of what a slur is. And if you haven't seen this video, you should go watch it. And this idea that you could use eigenvalues or eigenvectors for traditionally non-mathematical fields got me thinking. But if you could capture the mathematical essence of actions that aim towards human flourishing, but if you could capture the eigenvalue associated with virtue. Now, if you've ever read Plato, you know the problem in defining virtue goes way back. In Plato's book Menno, Plato describes a conversation between Socrates and Menno. And the conversation basically goes like this. Hey, Socrates, is virtue taught or learned? Yeah, I have no idea what virtue is. How do you not know virtue is? That's like super simple. Oh really, it's simple. Then tell me what is virtue. Oh yeah, it's simple. My boy Gorgias taught me what virtue is. Okay, then what does Gorgias say virtue is? Virtue is like justice, charity, strength, that sort of thing. Yeah, you're not defining virtue right now. You are giving me examples of virtues. What is virtue? I have no idea. And then Socrates goes on to say how virtue is learned and it's a gift from the gods, but for our discussion, we will ignore that second part. For our discussion, we'll consider this idea that maybe virtue is the eigenvalue of the direction of…