Peli Grietzer: A Mathematized Philosophy of Literature

Peli Grietzer: A Mathematized Philosophy of Literature

Author: Daniel Bashir July 27, 2023 Duration: 2:33:33

In episode 83 of The Gradient Podcast, Daniel Bashir speaks to Peli Grietzer.

Peli is a scholar whose work borrows mathematical ideas from machine learning theory to think through “ambient” and ineffable phenomena like moods, vibes, cultural logics, and structures of feeling. He is working on a book titled Big Mood: A Transcendental-Computational Essay in Art and contributes to the experimental literature collective Gauss PDF. Peli has a PhD in mathematically informed literary theory from Harvard Comparative Literature in collaboration with the HUJI Einstein Institute of Mathematics.

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Outline:

* (00:00) Intro

* (02:17) Peli’s background

* (10:40) Daniel takes 2 entire minutes to ask how Peli thinks about ~ Art ~

* (26:10) Idealism and art as revealing the nature of reality, extralinguistic experiences of truth through literature

* (52:05) The autoencoder as a way to understand Romantic theories of art

* (1:14:55) More on how Peli thinks about autoencoders

* (1:18:05) Connections to ambient meaning, stimmung/mood

* (1:37:18) Examples of poetry/literature as mathematical experience, aesthetic unity and totalizing worldviews

* (1:51:15) Moods clashing within a single work

* (2:10:14) Modernist writers

* (2:32:46) Outro

Links:

* Peli’s Twitter

* A Theory of Vibe

* Why poetry is a variety of mathematical experience

* Peli’s thesis



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Hosted by Daniel Bashir, The Gradient: Perspectives on AI moves beyond surface-level headlines to explore the intricate machinery and human ideas shaping artificial intelligence. Each episode is built on a foundation of deep research, leading to conversations that are both technically substantive and broadly accessible. You'll hear from researchers, engineers, and philosophers who are actively building and critiquing our technological future, discussing not just how AI systems work, but the larger implications of their integration into society. This isn't about speculative hype; it's a grounded examination of real progress, persistent challenges, and ethical considerations from those on the front lines. The discussions peel back layers on topics like model architecture, policy, and the fundamental science behind the algorithms becoming part of our daily lives. For anyone curious about the substance behind the buzz-whether you have a technical background or are simply keen to understand a defining technology of our age-this podcast offers a crucial and thoughtful resource. Tune in for a consistently detailed and nuanced take that treats artificial intelligence with the complexity it deserves.
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