Homines morales—A Game-Theoretic Analysis of the Evolutionary Fitness of Moral Philosophies (2024)

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.

To Have and to Hold: American Influences on the Rise of the Loved-Based Marriage in the Islamic World (2024)

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.