What to do with tainted heros?

I have a bit of cognative dissonance whenever I read or watch anything from Marvin Minsky.

Years ago, Minsky inspired me quite a bit on a number of subjects ranging from AI to music, even.

Then came the Epstein scandal, and there was chatter that Minsky was potentially a rotten character.

Jump ahead

Recently, I wanted to revisit some of Minsky’s ideas from his Society of Mind book, and was tickled to see that MIT put out some class videos that closely tied-in to that book. I began to watch in ernest. But soon into it, my brain started to critique the man I once revered with abandon.

I am sure Minsky himself would have an interesting treatise on this conundrum: how does one frame the work of someone who has personal ickiness? Is it on me to compartmentalize it and plow ahead all the same?

A way forward

For me, the trouble Minsky is alleged to have gotten into (he died before any of the Epstein stuff came to the fore) does indeed leak into the life work of the man. I can’t help but think, if true, a certain rot is also present in his work output.

Can I laugh at a Cosby punchline any longer? Yea, in a second-hand manner, I suppose. The same here: the potency of Minsky’s ideas are forever lost on me. Or at least, with all my human cognative biases, I am unable to plow right into Minsky’s work with an open mind and heart.