Three fascinating juxtapositions

I find myself coming to the defence of AI frequently now, in large part against criticisms that it is somehow destroying our creativity. For myself, I‘ve never come across such a creative tool. In response to such a criticism, I wrote:

“AI allows us to explore patterns and connections beyond the constraints of our limited and limiting conditioning. Every single interaction can open a new door. Take any two things and ask an LLM what one can show us about the other. What can the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas reveal about our fascination with police procedurals? What might mediaeval Japanese poetry have to say about podcasting? One glint of something new is all it takes to open up a completely new creative direction, even if we only ever use LLMs to gain inspiration.”

I pulled those two examples out of the air. This morning, I thought it would interesting to see what ChatGPT has to say in response to those exact two questions. I‘ve also thrown in a third, for good measure: “How might Game Theory help us to understand Double Entry Book-keeping?”

Here are its responses:

Aquinas and police procedurals

Thomas Aquinas' philosophy, particularly his views on natural law, justice, and the role of reason in understanding divine and human order, can offer an interesting lens for understanding our fascination with police procedurals. Here are a few key connections:

1. The Search for Justice and Divine Order

Aquinas saw justice as a reflection of the divine order, where human laws should align with natural law, which itself is rooted in eternal law (God's wisdom). Police procedurals, at their core, are about the pursuit of justice—unraveling disorder to restore a moral or legal equilibrium. Our fascination with these narratives may stem from an intrinsic longing for justice, a concept Aquinas viewed as central to a well-ordered society.

2. The Role of Reason in Uncovering Truth

Aquinas emphasized ratio (reason) as the means through which humans participate in divine wisdom. Detectives in police procedurals act as rational agents who apply logic, deduction, and ethical reasoning to solve crimes. Their investigative work mirrors the Thomistic idea that truth is knowable and that human intellect, properly exercised, can uncover it.

3. Crime as a Disruption of Natural Law

According to Aquinas, human laws should reflect natural law, which governs morality and justice. Crime, then, represents a disruption of this order—an act against the fundamental good of society. Police procedurals often explore not just crimes themselves but their moral weight, echoing the idea that wrongdoers act against the natural and divine order.

4. The Theological Undercurrents of Good vs. Evil

Many police procedurals, whether implicitly or explicitly, wrestle with the problem of evil—a major concern in Aquinas' theology. Evil, for Aquinas, is not a substance in itself but a privation of good. The presence of crime in these stories may function as a dramatic representation of this philosophical idea, with detectives acting as agents of restoration.

5. Retribution and Redemption

Aquinas held that justice involves retribution but should also serve the greater good, which includes the possibility of redemption. Some police procedurals lean into this idea, exploring themes of rehabilitation, moral reckoning, or even the fallibility of the justice system.

In short, our fascination with police procedurals might not just be about crime-solving or action, but about something deeper: the human search for order, truth, and justice—concepts that Aquinas saw as reflections of divine wisdom.

Mediaeval Japanese poetry and podcasting

Medieval Japanese poetry, particularly in the traditions of waka and haikai, often emphasizes impermanence (mujō), subtle communication, and the power of the unspoken. If these poets were to reflect on podcasting, they might highlight a few key themes:

1. Ephemerality and the Flow of Sound

- Mujō, the Buddhist concept of impermanence, is central to medieval Japanese poetry. Just as a poem captures a fleeting moment—like cherry blossoms falling or the cry of a cicada—podcasting exists in the flow of spoken words that come and go, leaving an impression but never fully grasped.

- A poet like Saigyō might compare a podcast to a breeze moving through reeds: something momentary yet resonant.

2. The Intimacy of the Human Voice

- Classical poets cherished the way emotion and thought could be conveyed subtly, often through indirect suggestion (yūgen). The human voice in podcasting, with its pauses, inflections, and breaths, embodies this same subtlety.

- A poet like Izumi Shikibu might say that a podcast, like a whispered love poem, reaches the listener in a way that written words cannot.

3. The Art of Conversation

- Linked-verse poetry (renga) was a communal act, where poets responded to each other in a carefully woven chain of images and themes. Podcasts, especially those with discussions, mirror this interplay—each speaker adding to the ongoing tapestry of thought.

- The poet Sōgi, a master of renga, might see a podcast as a kind of extended linked verse, where meaning emerges from the call and response of voices over time.

4. Minimalism and the Power of Silence

- Japanese poetry often thrives on what is left unsaid—spaces between words that allow the reader’s imagination to enter. Podcasting, too, relies on pacing, pauses, and quiet moments to shape meaning.

- A haiku master like Bashō might remind podcasters that silence is just as important as speech, much like the way the empty space in a painting defines the composition.

5. The Loneliness of the Speaker and the Distant Listener

- Many medieval Japanese poems express solitude—a poet addressing the moon or writing to someone far away. Podcasts have a similar dynamic: a voice speaking into the void, reaching unseen listeners.

- Perhaps an old poet would liken podcasting to writing a poem on a slip of paper and setting it adrift on a river, trusting that someone, somewhere, will receive it.

In essence, a medieval Japanese poet might see podcasting as an auditory form of poetry—an ephemeral, intimate, and deeply human expression of presence and absence, voice and silence, connection and solitude.

Game Theory and Double-Entry Book-keeping

Game theory, which analyzes strategic interactions between decision-makers, can offer an interesting perspective on double-entry bookkeeping by framing it as a system of balanced incentives and constraints. Here’s how game theory helps illuminate the logic behind it:

1. Double-Entry as a Zero-Sum Structure

- In every transaction, one account’s gain is another account’s loss. A debit in one place must be matched by a credit elsewhere, ensuring that the total system remains in equilibrium.

- This resembles a zero-sum game, where every move (transaction) must be counterbalanced to maintain stability. If an error occurs, it disrupts the balance, revealing inconsistencies in the system—similar to how a game-theoretic model would highlight equilibrium breakdowns.

2. Incentive Structures and Strategic Behavior

- Businesses act as rational players in an economic game, where their financial records influence decisions by investors, regulators, and stakeholders.

- Double-entry bookkeeping imposes strategic discipline: misrepresenting financials is harder because every change in one account affects another, increasing the risk of detection (a deterrent against fraud).

- This functions like a repeated game in game theory, where the ongoing nature of financial reporting means dishonest behavior has long-term consequences (loss of credibility, penalties).

3. Information Symmetry and Signaling

- Double-entry bookkeeping helps ensure information symmetry, reducing adverse selection (where one party has more information than another).

- It acts as a signaling mechanism in economic transactions, reassuring stakeholders that financial data is reliable, much like how strategic players in a game use signals to build trust.

4. Nash Equilibrium in Accounting Systems

- If all businesses follow double-entry principles, the system reaches a form of Nash equilibrium, where no firm benefits from deviating because doing so would create inconsistencies that invite scrutiny.

- If one entity tries to manipulate its books, auditors or market forces will detect the imbalance, making fraudulent strategies unsustainable in the long run.

5. The Role of Constraints and Rational Decision-Making

- Just as game theory involves constraints on players’ choices, double-entry bookkeeping constrains how businesses report transactions.

- The necessity of maintaining balance forces rational decision-making, much like how constraints in a game shape optimal strategies.

Conclusion: Bookkeeping as a Rational, Strategic System

Game theory highlights how double-entry bookkeeping is more than just a mechanical process—it’s a strategic framework designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and rational decision-making. By aligning incentives and enforcing discipline through interdependent accounts, it creates a stable financial “game” where businesses are motivated to play fairly, or risk exposing their inconsistencies.