An equivocation in the simple argument for downward causation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Rellihan
Keyword(s):  
Downward Causation ◽  
Simple Argument

A simple argument for downward causation

Synthese ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 192 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Kroedel
Keyword(s):  
Downward Causation ◽  
Simple Argument

Hitting Them With Carrots: Voter Intimidation and Vote Buying in Russia

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 857-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Frye ◽  
Ora John Reuter ◽  
David Szakonyi
Keyword(s):  
Middle Income Country ◽  
Income Country ◽  
Vote Buying ◽  
Election Cycle ◽  
Active Monitoring ◽  
Simple Argument ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Survey Experiments ◽  
Buying In

Scholars have identified many ways that politicians use carrots, such as vote buying, to mobilize voters, but have paid far less attention to how they use sticks, such as voter intimidation. This article develops a simple argument which suggests that voter intimidation should be especially likely where vote buying is expensive and employers have greater leverage over employees. Using survey experiments and crowd-sourced electoral violation reports from the 2011–12 election cycle in Russia, the study finds evidence consistent with these claims. Moreover, it finds that where employers have less leverage over employees, active forms of monitoring may supplement intimidation in order to encourage compliance. These results suggest that employers can be reliable vote brokers; that voter intimidation can persist in a middle-income country; and that, under some conditions, intimidation may be employed without the need for active monitoring.

scholarly journals Raoult’s law revisited: accurately predicting equilibrium relative humidity points for humidity control experiments

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Bowler ◽  
David R. Bowler ◽  
Matthew W. Bowler
Keyword(s):  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Vapour Pressure ◽  
Control Device ◽  
Raoult’S Law ◽  
Simple Argument ◽  
Humidity Control ◽  
Saturated Vapour Pressure ◽  
Saturated Vapour ◽  
Equilibrium Relative Humidity ◽  
Raoult's Law

AbstractThe humidity surrounding a sample is an important variable in scientific experiments. Biological samples in particular require not just a humid atmosphere but often a relative humidity (RH) that is in equilibrium with a stabilizing solution required to maintain the sample in the same state during measurements. The controlled dehydration of macromolecular crystals can lead to significant increases in crystal order, which often leads to higher diffraction quality. Devices that can accurately control the humidity surrounding crystals on a beamline have led to this technique being increasingly adopted, as experiments become easier and more reproducible. Matching the relative humidity to the mother liquor is the first step to allow the stable mounting of a crystal. In previous work, we measured the equilibrium relative humidity for a range of concentrations of the most commonly used precipitants and showed how this related to Raoult’s law for the equilibrium vapour pressure of water above a solution. However, a discrepancy between measured values and those predicted by theory could not be explained. Here, we have used a more precise humidity control device to determine equilibrium relative humidity points. The new results are in agreement with Raoult’s law. We also present a simple argument in statistical mechanics demonstrating that the saturated vapour pressure of a solvent is proportional to its mole fraction in an ideal solution: Raoult’s Law. The same argument can be extended to the case where solvent and solute molecules are of different size, as is the case with polymers. The results provide a framework for the correct maintenance of the RH surrounding samples.SynopsisThe equilibrium relative humidity values for a number of the most commonly used precipitants in biological macromolecule crystallisation have been measured using a new humidity control device. A simple argument in statistical mechanics demonstrates that the saturated vapour pressure of a solvent is proportional to its mole fraction in an ideal solution (Raoult’s Law). The same argument can be extended to the case where solvent and solute molecules are of different size.

scholarly journals Against Abolition

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Cull
Keyword(s):  
Ideal Theory ◽  
Simple Argument ◽  
Analytic Metaphysics

Analytic metaphysics of gender has taken an ameliorative turn towards ethical and political questions regarding what our concept of gender ought to be, and how gendered society should be structured. Abolitionism about gender, which claims that we ought to mandate gender out of existence, has therefore seen renewed interest. I consider three arguments for abolitionism from radically different perspectives: Haslanger’s simple argument, Escalante’s Gender Nihilism, and Okin’s argument from ideal theory. I argue that none of the above manage to establish the desirability of abolitionism and that we should be wary of the abolitionist position, as it imperils trans lives.

Individuals, hierarchies and processes: towards a more complete evolutionary theory

Paleobiology ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth S. Vrba ◽  
Niles Eldredge
Keyword(s):  
Downward Causation ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Process Selection ◽  
Term Selection ◽  
Hierarchical Levels ◽  
Character Variation ◽  
Long Term Trend ◽  
Interlevel Causation ◽  
Selection Of

Hierarchy is a central phenomenon of life. Yet it does not feature as such in traditional biological theory. The genealogical hierarchy is a nested organization of entities at ascending levels. There are phenomena common to all levels: (1) Entities such as genomic constituents, organisms, demes, and species are individuals. (2) They have aggregate characters (statistics of characters of subparts), but also emergent characters (arising from organization among subparts). Character variation changes by (3) introduction of novelty and (4) sorting by differential birth and death. Causation of introduction and sorting of variation at each level may be (5) upward from lower levels, (6) downward from higher levels, or (7) lodged at the focal level. The term “selection” applies to only one of the possible processes which cause sorting at a focal level. Neo-Darwinian explanations are too narrow, both in the levels (of genotypes and phenotypes) and in the directive process (selection) which are stressed. The acknowledgment of additional, hierarchical phenomena does not usually extend beyond lip service. We urge that interlevel causation should feature centrally in explanatory hypotheses of evolution. For instance, a ready explanation for divergence in populations is “selection of random mutants.” But upward causation from genome dynamics (or downward causation from the hierarchical organism) to the directed introduction of mutants may be more important in a given case. Similarly, a long-term trend is traditionally explained as additive evolution in populations. But sorting among species may be the cardinal factor, and the cause may not be species selection but upward causation from lower levels. A general theory of biology is a theory of hierarchical levels—how they arise and interact. This is a preliminary contribution mainly to the latter question.

Emergence

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Mind ◽  
Downward Causation ◽  
Comprehensive Account ◽  
Weak Emergence ◽  
Vast Literature ◽  
Ontological Emergence

This chapter surveys contemporary theories of emergence and argues that no comprehensive account currently exists. It separates ontological emergence, epistemological emergence, and conceptual emergence, as well as discussing synchronic and diachronic forms of each. It further argues that the emphasis on emergence in the philosophy of mind has led to a neglect of diachronic emergence and that the contrast between reduction and emergence has reinforced that bias. Downward causation is assessed as being less of a problem for ontological emergence than usually supposed; recent presentations of weak emergence and of undecidability results are discussed. Universality and nonlinearity as sources of emergence are examined, as is the role of holism in emergence and skepticism about the existence of emergence. Finally, a tentative suggestion is made about how to bring order to this vast literature.

The non-uniform stationary measure for discrete-time quantum walks in one dimension

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (11&12) ◽  
pp. 1060-1075
Author(s):  
Norio Konno ◽  
Masato Takei
Keyword(s):  
Eigenvalue Problem ◽  
Discrete Time ◽  
Quantum Walks ◽  
Stationary Measure ◽  
Unitary Matrix ◽  
Uniform Measure ◽  
Simple Argument ◽  
Stationary Measures ◽  
Time Quantum ◽  
The One

We consider stationary measures of the one-dimensional discrete-time quantum walks (QWs) with two chiralities, which is defined by a 2 $\times$ 2 unitary matrix $U$. In our previous paper \cite{Konno2014}, we proved that any uniform measure becomes the stationary measure of the QW by solving the corresponding eigenvalue problem. This paper reports that non-uniform measures are also stationary measures of the QW except when $U$ is diagonal. For diagonal matrices, we show that any stationary measure is uniform. Moreover, we prove that any uniform measure becomes a stationary measure for more general QWs not by solving the eigenvalue problem but by a simple argument.

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