Conservative Philosophy Research Articles

Is Wittgenstein a Conservative Philosopher?

Is Wittgenstein a Conservative Philosopher?

Recent Development of Central-Local Financial Relations in Italy

Italian local authorities share with those of other European countries a considerable degree of fragmentation. In addition, they suffer from the well-known North-South differential in economic conditions. On top of this, their management has long been split between the left-wing (mainly Communist) and the conservative (mainly Christian Democrat) political philosophy. This has rendered their performances and behaviour quite heterogeneous and has complicated the task of securing an equitable system of central-local financial relationships. For decades most of the southern authorities and the ‘red’ fraction of the centre-northern authorities have taken advantage of the possibility of borrowing for balancing the budget on the current account. This was a major loophole in the system until 1977. Bankruptcy was avoided ony through ‘entente’ between the Christian Democrats and the Communists in early 1978 (at the time of Mr Moro's murder), whereby all outstanding debt of local authorities was cancelled and transferred to the Central Government. In spite of an officially proclaimed ‘restraint’ there followed a period of real ‘Renaissance’ in local budgets, especially on the capital side. Borrowing—this time for capital expenditure—was again at the root of this development. Part of the deal was a revival of the ‘fiscal effort’ on the local side, making use of the few sources of own revenue left to local authorities after the fiscal reform of 1973–1974. Meanwhile, the ‘equalisation issue’ was raised with regard to the distribution of the general grant. Distribution criteria have been constantly changing since 1982. A completely new approach is now under consideration at the Ministry of Interior, based on the notion of ‘equal grant’ for ‘normal’ local authorities. Such an approach will eventually put aside the ‘past expenditure’ criterion which is still at the core of the grant distribution. While waiting for this reform, local authorities will almost certainly get a new local tax (‘tax for the financing of services’) starting in 1986.

A clinical view of recent advances in ascites.

We discuss current perspectives in ascites, focusing on newer developments of interest to clinicians and stressing the value and limitations of therapeutic paracentesis. Because there is considerable evidence to support both the "underfilled" and "overflow" hypotheses for the development of ascites, current concepts concentrate on integration of these two theories. In the management of ascites the rate of ascites mobilization is more important than the method by which excess peritoneal fluid is removed; thus salt restriction may not have to be rigid if diuretics are used judiciously. An approach to intractable ascites emphasizes the difference between unresponsive and refractory ascites, but in both situations a conservative philosophy is recommended. Nonhepatic causes of ascites are briefly reviewed since their management may require principles different from those used in cirrhosis.

Historical Changes in the Conservative Party's Industrial Relations Philosophy

Just what is the Conservative Government's industrial relations policy? There are usually two different sets of answers given by industrial relations commentators to this question, determined by their stance on the Government's general policies. The first line of argument is that the question itself is a contradiction in terms: the Government, by definition of its laissez‐faire economic philosophy, has no specific policy towards industrial relations. The content of national and locally negotiated contracts, in both the private and, increasingly, the public sector, must be the product of what the market can afford, and of a bargaining process that is unfettered by interference from external agencies. The free play of market forces must be the primary determinant of wage and price levels. Thus Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill have at least one thing in common, that is, a view of free collective bargaining in which wages and prices are determined by the daily trial of strength between capital and labour. Indeed, the Government's employment legislation was placed on the statute book, so they tell us, not to strengthen the hand of the employer at the expense of labour, but because the state had been used by previous governments, Labour and Conservative alike, for the benefit of trade union growth, and not in its more traditional role as a guarantor of individual freedom and private property. Hence the Government must stand aloof from disputes like the recent miners' strike.

Discussion: Water Resources Management: Policy Economics for an Era of Transitions

Dr. Shabman has chosen to pass on op- making as seeking incremental movement away portunity to identify critical policy issues from problems, rather than striving to achieve to be confronted in 1980's and instead chose some prespecified goal, i.e. that decisions aren't to address art of policy analysis and made, they just happen. strategy for political acceptance. He has done Based on this concept of incremental choice, an excellent job of providing a historical over- role of economist in policy analysis is view of water resource policy and points to to: (1) expand range of choices to be conexciting times ahead for those economists who sidered as deviations from existing situation are effective in designing water policy research and (2) provide advice to decisionmakers as to and in offering policy advice. how concepts of opportunity cost, marginShabman begins by questioning validity alism, and incentives may be applied to of applying rational-analytical decision current situation. model to government action. In rational I have no problem with these roles; however, decision model, economists are looked to for in my mind they are equally applicable to either analytical expertise and provision of informa- rational decision approach or incretion as to impacts of alternative actions. In mental approach--only range of alternatives providing these services economists have de- considered would differentiate two. veloped methods for valuing non-market goods, i developed new approaches for marginal cost Shabman goes on to address importance pricing, and attempted to create markets or of ht he t s ideological overtones quasi markets to increase efficiency of gov- of application of these concepts and he ernment actions. However, Shabman argues that seems to argue that if policy economists are to result of this type of activity has been to be effective, they must not only recognize provide policy advice which has fallen on deaf ideological perspective of decisionmakers ears. they are dealing with, but they must also recTo correct our approach, Shabman offers an ognize their own ideological bias and somehow alternative mode of operation. He calls on pol- reconcile two. icy economists to adopt a new approach to Shabman provides a history of water policy defining policy research problems and to be- from days of Theodore Roosevelt and his come more attuned to need for political resource conservation philosophy through strategy in offering policy advice. He discards New Deal agencies of Franklin Roosevelt and traditional rational decision model, states environmental movement of 1960's and that objectivity in policy research and advising 1970's. The changes in ideologies which have is impossible and provides what he terms the occurred over time and impact which these institutional model of policy for ideologies have had on effectiveness and us to accept and adapt our contributions to this discretionary power of government agencies process. are emphasized. Public choice is based upon process of In today's world Shabman argues, and I agree, incremental politics rather than rational that there are no ideologically neutral policy decision model. Choices are made within a very prescriptions. Economists, if they are to be efnarrowly defined set of institutional constraints fective, must recognize ideology implicit which will probably be changing over time. in their science. Expert advice from economists Shabman seems to accept and proclaim Wil- or other specialists is not accepted without davsky's and Lindbloom's definition of choice questions (I'm not sure that it ever was-even

The surveyor in conservation

The number of old buildings and sites protected by legislation is rapidly increasing due to the accelerated listing procedure and the effects of the 1979 Ancient Monuments Act — laws brought about to reflect the widening public concern about historic fabric, perhaps as the result of the increasing strength of the conservation movement; public disillusion with modern architecture; and insecurity about the future brought about by the current recession. Thus, in a time when even modern buildings are being listed and Second World War defences being scheduled, the surveyor is increasingly likely to be confronted with instructions to repair, restore, convert, extend or improve ancient buildings. This short series of articles attempts to summarise a few of the problems likely to be encountered with their solution, without suggesting that the surveyor should be deterred from exercising his or her individual skills and judgment in dealing with buildings whose very nature demands a singular approach. The first article deals with the philosophy of conservation and the laws that support it, historical research and the various alternative approaches that may be made to solve practical problems; the second will cover the sources of materials — including stone, bricks, green oak, lime and paint — used in conservation works; and the last the techniques of surveying and repairing churches. Any study of conservation is rewarding — the realisation that the earlier a medieval building, the finer its detail; the discovery that modern craftsmen display great skill when properly encouraged; and the surprising longevity of traditional building materials, albeit subjected to centuries of neglect — these provide examples which will repay the surveyor's time and interest.

Shape-Note Tune Books and Primitive Hymns

appeared since 1800 and the hymnody of the rural South that survives in the oral tradition is a difficult one to analyze, and is at this late date probably lost forever to complete understanding. However, careful study of current singing traditions in light of the published sacred music that has accumulated over the years affords a useful perspective on this relationship. I recently had the opportunity to conduct a field study of Primitive Baptist hymn singing, including both black and white churches, in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia and North Carolina, and found it to be pertinent to this issue in several ways.1 First, these Primitive Baptists are committed to a uniquely conservative philosophy that extends to their way of singing, which is one of the oldest surviving sacred song traditions in America. Second, although the black and white branches of the church are now independent, like many Southern denominations, they were united until the post-bellum divisions of the 1870s and 1880s, and can thus be viewed as two diverging exponents of a single singing tradition, subtraditions that are the products of contrasting cultural preferences. The complicating factor is that both branches possess a tune repertory that may have been strongly influenced by published tune sources. My purpose in this essay is to summarize the findings of my fieldwork and, drawing on some of the historical evidence, to try to clarify some features of the fuzzy relationship between the oral tradition and published tune books. On the face of it, the Primitive Baptists possess an old-fashioned hymnody of remarkable strength and vitality. Largely responsible is the church's nonconformist predestinarian theology and its distrust of innovation. Just as most conservative Primitive Baptists reject Sunday schools, seminaries, foreign missions, and most other proselytizing institutions, they continue to repudiate modernizations in hymn singing that have been taken up over the years by more progressive denominations, including the use of harmony, written music, musical instruments, soloists, and performing choirs. Their position is not rooted simply in a stubborn rejection of new ideas in general or musical progress in particular,

Updating the tritium quality factor — The argument for conservatism

Estimated doses resulting from tritium releases to the environment are linearly dependent upon the quality factor (Q) chosen for tritium beta radiation. In 1969 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommended using 1 as the Q for all low energy beta radiation. Considerable improvements have been made in evaluating exposures to tritium at very low dose rates and in refining physiological and biological endpoints since the 1969 ICRP recommendations. This study summarizes recent experiments to determine the relative biological effectiveness of tritium. Based upon our study of published data related to quality factor, its importance in the calculation of dose, and the currently accepted conservative philosophy in radiation protection, it is concluded that a value of 2 would seem to be more defensible for environmental assessments and that a reevaluation of the tritium quality factor by the ICRP is needed.

Hegel's Theory of the Identity of Thinking and Existence

The most fundamental proposition of Hegel's philosophy is that there is an inherent identity between thinking and existence. This proposition reveals in capsule form the idealistic system and dialectical contradiction of Hegel's philosophy. It is precisely through this proposition that in his most extremely conservative philosophy Hegel conceals revolution and reflects the just emerging demands of the capitalist class in early nineteenth century Germany.

Conservative management of pre-eclamptic and eclamptic patients: A re-evaluation

A philosophy of conservatism in regard to termination of gestations complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertension has been practiced at the University of Virginia Hospital for many years. The advent of improved methods to evaluate the intrauterine fetal status prompted retrospective review of 246 pre-eclamptic and 13 eclamptic patients managed during the antepartum period. Continuous magnesium sulfate infusion for periods up to 144 hours (265 grams) was the therapeutic measure used for prevention or control of convulsions. Average duration of predelivery hospitalization increased 8.7 days, and the incidence of neonates requiring intensive care increased 10.9 per cent with the use of tests to evaluate intrauterine fetal status. Frequency of spontaneous onset of labor and vaginal delivery decreased 18.6 per cent. The uncorrected perinatal mortality rate for all antepartum patients was 7.0 per cent. The mortality rate for infants of mothers with superimposed, severe or convulsive disease was significantly less in pregnancies in which tests of fetoplacental status were employed (8.2 per cent) compared to pregnancies in which they were not (15.2 per cent). The only maternal death was a 41-year-old patient with severe pre-eclampsia who suffered a corebral vascular accident on the fifth hospital day. These data reiterate the value of conservative management with meticulous individualized care.

Introduction to the proceedings of the symposium "the state of nature conservation in southern Africa"

The idea of arranging this symposium originated with the Chief Director of the National Parks Board of Trustees, Dr R Knobel, towards the end of 1974. It is often stated that the Republic of South Africa (RSA) plays a leading role in the global conservation movement, but that there seems to be a lack of cross-fertilization with other countries and that the RSA is failing to implant the philosophy of nature conservation in the presently developing countries. Unless the emerging states can be convinced of the value of wildlife for mankind, there remains little hope for any future action concerning nature conservation.

Thoughts towards a philosophy of nature conservation

This essay examines some basic issues underlying the philosophy of nature conservation. It distinguishes between economic and cultural reasons for conserving wildlife and its habitat, and deals largely with the latter. Nature conservation reflects and supports a spectrum of public interest ranging from deep science to simple perception, and has a rightful place in education. It is seen as an activity conducive to civilised living, through its ability to give an abiding sense of purpose, and harmony of relationships, both with environment and other people. Concern for wildlife is consistent with concern over the world-wide ills of human society, for it can help to promote a way of life in which there is greater understanding and control over the irrational and animalistic aspects of our existence. For many people it gives the foundation for a much-needed ethic. The question of whether we conserve wildlife and habitat because of its right to existence poses one of the ultimate philosophical problems, and can only be answered in terms of a personal credo.

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View.

Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View.

Planners' Conceptions of Rural-Urban Characteristics: The North Yorkshire and Teesside Structure Plans

Cornish M. S. and Cornish S. R. (1975) Planners' Conceptions of Rural-Urban Characteristics: the North Yorkshire and Teesside Structure Plans, Reg. Studies 9, 169–180. Rural-urban differences are problematic for the sociologist, yet the adoption of these categories by planners is shown here to condition their assumptions and approach to an area. This adoption is based on professional and ideological factors. The Structure Plans for the Teesside sub-region. now part of Cleveland County, are selected to illustrate this planning approach. The distinction of agricultural and extractive historical economic bases of the Western and Eastern sectors of the rural fringe to the South of Teesside are reflected in planners' assessment of the area's features and potential. The growth zone philosophy of the urban Teesside plan is seen against the conservative philosophy of the rural county draft plan.

The New Humanism, Christianity, and the Problem of Modern Man

is King, having driven out Zeus.' Babbitt used the statement to identify the character of a post-religious age that had lost the sense of absolute truth derived from a supernatural source and had allowed intellectual confusion and moral relativism to fill the vacuum. This for Babbitt was the problem of modern man, and he was convinced that it could not be solved without a return to principles. His friend and colleague in the Humanist2 movement, Paul Elmer More, endorsed that prescription. Both outlined a conservative philosophy that was anti-romantic and anti-naturalistic and pointed to a revived classical humanism. The New Humanism, however, was never uniform in the ideas of its proponents, and the challenge for spiritual recovery raised important questions about the means to desired ends. Particularly troublesome for Babbitt and More was the question of religion. Could a positive and critical humanism, as Babbitt believed, supply in the twentieth century the discipline and standards for Western civilization that Christianity had sought earlier to give, or, as More came later to believe, could the needed regeneration come only from the force of religious dogma and revealed truth? Babbitt was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1865, attended Harvard University through his master's degree, and returned later to teach the Romance languages. Babbitt was the major spokesman for the Humanist school and from his first work

Internal-External Control and Ideology

It was hypothesized that internal Ss would agree more with ideologies which emphasize the importance of self-determination of behavior, whereas external Ss would agree more with ideologies which emphasize the importance of social determination of behavior. Internals scored significantly higher on the traditional American ideology scale, whereas externals scored significantly higher on the New Left scale and one assessing a political philosophy of conservatism. These significant results ( p < .02) for college students supported the hypothesis. The implications for perception and understanding social problems were discussed.

The Marine Technology Society honors William T. Pecora

The Marine Technology Society's Third Annual Memorial Lecture was given by John C. Whitaker, undersecretary of the Department of the Interior, at the opening of the MTS conference on September 10.The presentation was in honor of the late William T. Pecora, former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Whitaker reviewed Pecora's accomplishments as a scientist and administrator and discussed his conservation philosophy and its relationship to the current energy supply problem.

Supreme Court Justices as Strict and Not-so-Strict Constructionists: Some Implications

In making his televised announcement on the nominations of Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist for seats on the Supreme Court, Richard Nixon observed that he was merely fulfilling a campaign promise. For, he said: “… during my campaign for the Presidency, I pledged to nominate to the Supreme Court individuals who shared my judicial philosophy which is basically a conservative philosophy. … As a judicial conservative, I believe some Court decisions have gone too far in the past in weakening the peace forces as against the criminal forces in our society” (New York Times, 1971: 24C). In 1968, Mr. Nixon said: ”We need more strict constructionists on the highest court of the United States. In my view, the duty of a Justice of the Supreme Court is to interpret the law, not to make the law, and the men I support will share that view“ (U.S. News & World Report, 1968: 42).

A plea for conservatism in breast surgery.

A plea for conservatism in breast surgery.

The possibility of a philosophy of conservatism

The possibility of a philosophy of conservatism