Cyrus Seyrafi
Why, hello there!
My name is Cyrus! I'm a postgraduate student at The University of Edinburgh, where I'm currently studying for my MSc in Statistics with Data Science, which is set for completion in August 2025!
In August 2024, I earned my BSc in Mathematics, Philosophy, and History, with minors in Economics and English, from Northeastern University. I've always had diverse interests, and I believe that addressing today's increasingly complex societal challenges requires an interdisciplinary approach—especially in burgeoning fields like policy, law, and AI.
Outside the classroom, I'm a big band and classical music aficionado, ice cream parlor connoisseur, amateur philosopher, and chronic traveler. I moved around a lot with my mother as a child, but we eventually settled in a small town on Cape Cod named Brewster, MA.
Curriculum
Vitae
Vitae
Academic and professional references are available upon request. Please email me at seyrafi.c@northeastern.edu.
CV Pub.pdfPapers
Honors Interdisciplinary Thesis in Philosophy and Economics, Northeastern University
Abstract
This paper formalizes John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism, Immanuel Kant’s deontology, and Adam Smith’s sympathy-based ethics as transformations of material payoff functions in rational choice theory, and subjects them to evolutionary game-theoretic replicator dynamics against the homo economicus to test their respective evolutionary fitness and intergenerational stability. Building on Alger (2013), which first formalized Kantian morality against the homo economicus, this work employs a Python simulation to determine long-run dominant or stable moral strategies in all configurations of the Prisoner’s Dilemma and the Hawk-Dove Game.
Senior Capstone in History, Northeastern University
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of American romantic ideals on the evolution of love-based marriage in the Islamic world from the late 19th century to the present. It explores how American feminist and cultural values, especially through media like Disney, shaped perceptions of love and marriage in the Middle East. Key figures like Egyptian philosopher Qasim Amin merged Western feminist thought with local values, advocating for women's rights. Contemporary perspectives, revealed through surveys and interviews, highlight a generational divide influenced by globalization. The study concludes that while American ideals play a significant role, traditional and modern views on marriage coexist in a complex dialogue.