The Relativity of Everything. A Philosophical Inquiry into Relativity, Complexity and Distributed Society.


Book Description

Given that everything in the world is relative, contemporary societal organization is based on social absolutes that are considered self-evident. This type of system invariably introduces central polarization into society, leading to class divisions, with transitions between the classes becoming increasingly difficult as polarization intensifies. Throughout human history, various forms of centrally polarized societies have been established, referred to by different names in different eras, such as slavery, feudalism, capitalism, or socialism. However, these societies can only endure as long as transitions between their social strata remain possible. Once these transitions become unattainable, the society inevitably crumbles. The escalating central polarization of society and its subsequent division become impediments to progress and development and can only be overcome through decentralization. Historically, transitions from one societal structure to another have resulted in a temporary decentralization of society. Nevertheless, the new societal structure invariably deteriorated due to the emergence of fresh central polarization, albeit founded on different polarization criteria. This book offers a deep exploration of the phenomena of relativity, complexity, and complexification, proposing a new approach to the critical analysis of capitalism as a societal structure. It elaborates on the foundational principles of distributed society as the only sustainable alternative to centrally polarized society.




Income Distribution Dynamics of Economic Systems


Book Description

An overview of the distributive dynamics of economic systems in a broad theoretical and empirical sense from the econophysical viewpoint.







A Philosophical Approach to MOND


Book Description

Dark matter is a fundamental component of the standard cosmological model, but in spite of four decades of increasingly sensitive searches, no-one has yet detected a single dark-matter particle in the laboratory. An alternative cosmological paradigm exists: MOND (Modified Newtonian Dynamics). Observations explained in the standard model by postulating dark matter are described in MOND by proposing a modification of Newton's laws of motion. Both MOND and the standard model have had successes and failures – but only MOND has repeatedly predicted observational facts in advance of their discovery. In this volume, David Merritt outlines why such predictions are considered by many philosophers of science to be the 'gold standard' when it comes to judging a theory's validity. In a world where the standard model receives most attention, the author applies criteria from the philosophy of science to assess, in a systematic way, the viability of this alternative cosmological paradigm.







University of Michigan Official Publication


Book Description

Each number is the catalogue of a specific school or college of the University.




Justice and Justification


Book Description

We all have beliefs, even strong convictions, about what is just and fair in our social arrangements. How should these beliefs and the theories of justice that incorporate them guide our thinking about practical matters of justice? This wide-ranging collection of essays by one of the foremost medical ethicists in the United States explores the claim that justification in ethics, whether concerning matters of theory or practice, involves achieving coherence or "reflective equilibrium" (as Rawls has called it) between our moral and nonmoral beliefs. Among the practical issues the volume addresses are the design of health-care institutions, the distribution of goods between the old and the young, and fairness in hiring and firing practices. In combining ethical theory and practical ethics this volume will prove especially valuable to philosophers concerned with ethics and applied ethics, political theorists, bioethicists, and others involved in the study of public policy.




HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY -Volume I


Book Description

History and Philosophy of Science and Technology is a component of Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on History and Philosophy of Science and Technology in four volumes covers several topics such as: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science; The Nature and Structure of Scientific Theories Natural Science; A Short History of Molecular Biology; The Structure of the Darwinian Argument In The Origin of Species; History of Measurement Theory; Episodes of XX Century Cosmology: A Historical Approach; Philosophy of Economics; Social Sciences: Historical And Philosophical Overview of Methods And Goals; Introduction to Ethics of Science and Technology; The Ethics of Science and Technology; The Control of Nature and the Origins of The Dichotomy Between Fact And Value; Science and Empires: The Geo-Epistemic Location of Knowledge; Science and Religion; Scientific Knowledge and Religious Knowledge - Significant Epistemological Reference Points; Thing Called Philosophy of Technology; Transitions from Function-Oriented To Effect-Oriented Technologies. Some Thought on the Nature of Modern Technology; Technical Agency and Sources of Technological Pessimism These four volumes are aimed at a broad spectrum of audiences: University and College Students, Educators and Research Personnel.




Loving Faster Than Light


Book Description

This is an insightful examination of one of the essential problems of the history of science - how does elite, esoteric knowledge get read, used, modified, and owned by those outside the professional scientific community? Price focuses on one of the defining scientific ideas of the 20th century and skillfully demonstrates the many genres and styles through which it was adopted and changed.




Advances in Econometrics, Income Distribution and Scientific Methodology


Book Description

Articles on econometric methodology with special reference to the quantification of poverty and economic inequality are presented in this book. Poverty and inequality measurement present special problems to the econometrician, and most of these papers analyze how to attack those problems. The topics and contributions in the book are a very good representation of Camilo Dagum's astounding diversity of interests and overall eclecticism. Several of the authors are leading pioneers in econometric methodology. Several others are pioneers in economic theory and others are the leading applied economists in income distribution analysis in the world. The topics accurately reflect Camilo Dagum's breadth of understanding across varios economic sub-fields, all complex in nature.