Yes, but are these any simpler than most written discussions of the same topics, in things like essays? It seems that the once they're codified in some kind of

Yes, but are these any simpler than most written discussions of the same topics, in things like essays? It seems that the once they're codified in some kind of mathematical model then we can see the shortcomings right away, whereas an essay might obfuscate this, and yet be conceptually even weaker. In another way, the same arguments could be made in a mathematical model and an essay, but the model might just be easier to criticise. I'd say that's a good thing.