Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I was joined by Dr. Mahsa Moosavi to discuss "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether," by Edgar Allan Poe. Dr. Moosavi discusses the story through the lens of ethics, game theory (signalling game), and ethics.
Dr. Mahsa Moosavi is a scholar of comparative literature. Her work bridges literary and cultural theory, ethics, and scientific models of thought. She completed her PhD at Western University with a dissertation on game-theoretic approaches to fiction, examining how stories model trust, deception, and strategic reasoning. Her research also engages the medical humanities, Cold War studies, science fiction, and game studies. She has published in several scholarly journals and has presented her work at different international conferences. She currently teaches at King’s University College and serves as the Digital Management Team Lead for a project called “Mapping Digital Environmentalism through AI-Based Art”.
Video content:
- 00:00 - Preview
- 00:53 - Introduction
- 02:48 - Summary of "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"
- 04:44 - The narrative mood: caution and politeness
- 09:12 - Why game theory? (signalling game)
- 14:38 - Cheap signals vs. costly signals
- 17:14 - Commentary on the term "System"
- 23:35 - The dinner scene: Performing sanity
- 29:34 - Monsieur Maillard and his shifting status
- 34:11 - "When a madman appears thoroughly sane..."
- 38:38 - The visible and the invisible
- 41:20 - Dr. Moosavi recommends "Stonehearst Asylum"
- 42:17 - Final thoughts
—
Access more videos: patreon.com/dgozli
Join my reading group: dgozli.com/reading-group-schedule
#literaryfiction #edgarallenpoe #gametheory
I was joined by Dr. Mahsa Moosavi to discuss "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether," by Edgar Allan Poe. Dr. Moosavi discusses the story through the lens of ethics, game theory (signalling game), and ethics.
Dr. Mahsa Moosavi is a scholar of comparative literature. Her work bridges literary and cultural theory, ethics, and scientific models of thought. She completed her PhD at Western University with a dissertation on game-theoretic approaches to fiction, examining how stories model trust, deception, and strategic reasoning. Her research also engages the medical humanities, Cold War studies, science fiction, and game studies. She has published in several scholarly journals and has presented her work at different international conferences. She currently teaches at King’s University College and serves as the Digital Management Team Lead for a project called “Mapping Digital Environmentalism through AI-Based Art”.
Video content:
- 00:00 - Preview
- 00:53 - Introduction
- 02:48 - Summary of "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"
- 04:44 - The narrative mood: caution and politeness
- 09:12 - Why game theory? (signalling game)
- 14:38 - Cheap signals vs. costly signals
- 17:14 - Commentary on the term "System"
- 23:35 - The dinner scene: Performing sanity
- 29:34 - Monsieur Maillard and his shifting status
- 34:11 - "When a madman appears thoroughly sane..."
- 38:38 - The visible and the invisible
- 41:20 - Dr. Moosavi recommends "Stonehearst Asylum"
- 42:17 - Final thoughts
—
Access more videos: patreon.com/dgozli
Join my reading group: dgozli.com/reading-group-schedule
#literaryfiction #edgarallenpoe #gametheory
