Empirical World Research Articles

A New Matrix Statistic for the Hausman Endogeneity Test under Heteroskedasticity

We derive a new matrix statistic for the Hausman test for endogeneity in cross-sectional Instrumental Variables estimation, that incorporates heteroskedasticity in a natural way and does not use a generalized inverse. A Monte Carlo study examines the performance of the statistic for different heteroskedasticity-robust variance estimators and different skedastic situations. We find that the test statistic performs well as regards empirical size in almost all cases; however, as regards empirical power, how one corrects for heteroskedasticity matters. We also compare its performance with that of the Wald statistic from the augmented regression setup that is often used for the endogeneity test, and we find that the choice between them may depend on the desired significance level of the test.

The Iconography of Death in the Logbooks of the Eighteenth-Century Dutch Atlantic Slave Trade

ABSTRACT When deaths among the enslaved and crew occurred during the eighteenth-century voyages of the vessels of the Middelburg Commercial Company, many of the officers who kept logbooks aboard drew skulls and crossbones, crosses, hourglasses, and other icons to mark those deaths. While some scholars have previously noted those icons preserved in the margins of 109 logbooks in the Zeeuws Archive in Middelburg, the Netherlands, this first comprehensive description and analysis of that iconography of death contributes a novel dimension to our understanding of the Atlantic slave trade. Many of the icons relate to memento mori symbolism that emerged during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Dutch vanitas paintings and quotidian objects to emphasize the evanescence of mundane existence lived without spirituality, helping to reconcile the conspicuous consumption of material goods extracted from a global colonial empire with a Calvinist piety that abjured earthly possessions. The iconographical analysis reveals seventeen types of icons, ranging from basic marks such as an X to combinations of skulls, crossbones, hourglasses, and wings. Moreover, it reveals which icon types appear most commonly, how they changed over time, how they varied among logbook authors, and how they differed for deaths among the enslaved and crew.

Performance of Some Modified Test Statistics for Testing the Population Signal to Noise Ratio: Simulation and Applications

This paper considers fifteen existing and proposed test statistics for testing the population SNR. A theoretical comparison among the test statistics is not possible, a Monte Carlo simulation study has been conducted. The performance of the test statistics is based on the empirical size and power of the tests considering a significance level 0.05. The simulation study resulted in some existing and proposed methods performing well in some conditions. For testing SNR=1, 2 and 5, Method 10 performed the best in all simulation conditions. However, for testing SNR=0.5 the proposed Method 12 and for testing SNR=10, the proposed Method 15 performed the best. Two real life data sets are analyzed to illustrate the performance of the test statistics.

The Graphic Method

Early scientists and engineers used pictures to calculate and convey technical information. Since before 1800, they referred to this practice as the “graphic method.” In 1878, French polymath Étienne-Jules Marey published a 652-page book titled La méthode graphique dans les sciences expérimentales. La Méthode Graphique was the first work of its kind. In the introduction of the book, translated for this column, Marey helps us understand how visualization took root as a crucial tool documenting the empirical world.

Tatsṛṣṭvā Tadevānuprāviśat : Toward an Advaita Vedantic Approach to Cosmopsychism

Abstract: This essay draws attention to some of the ideas and discussions in the classical Advaita Vedantic literature that have a direct bearing on contemporary debates concerning the existence of consciousness in the empirical world. Section 1 makes the case for pursuing a non-eliminativist reading of Advaita Vedanta by clarifying its position on the existence of the empirical world. The idea here is to lay the background for approaching Advaita Vedanta from a cosmopsychist perspective. Section 2 shows, first, how the position of Advaita Vedanta that macro-level consciousnesses are reflections of the universal consciousness (Brahman) in the intellects ( buddhi ) of empirical selves sets it apart from the prevailing cosmopsychist theories. It then goes on to discuss how this idea of reflection can at once offer an elegant solution to the decombination/derivation problem, suggest a promising way to bridge "the explanatory gap" and explain the phenomena of mental causation.

Against Sovereignty: The Colonial Limits of Modern Politics

The discipline of International Relations is premised upon the idea that a premodern world of empires and colonial domination was gradually replaced through the global spread of modern sovereign nation-states. Decades of decolonial scholarship and the growth of the literature on state formations have shown fundamental continuities in these ‘transitions to modernity’, which are often overlooked by the assumption that establishes the discipline. This paper questions the possibility of responding to contemporary global crises through a political framework rooted in colonial and absolutist legacies, indicating the necessity of thinking not only beyond, but against sovereignty. This is presented, first, through an engagement with the historical development of modern sovereignty and the role of the ‘nation’ in tying the legitimacy of political authority to a cultural or historical homogeneity. Second, by drawing upon the existing critiques of the nation within decolonial literature, outlining two different responses to its role in struggles for decolonial democratisation. While such a rejection of sovereignty is by no means a finished project, it is a necessary component of contemporary political action (and academic reflection) that aims to look for alternative ways of addressing the many crises of the present while abandoning the colonial legacies of our current political forms. Contre la souveraineté : les limites coloniales de la politique moderne

Testing Heteroskedasticity in High-Dimensional Linear Regression

A new procedure that is based on the residuals of the Lasso is proposed for testing heteroskedasticity in high-dimensional linear regression, where the number of covariates can be larger than the sample size. The theoretical analysis demonstrates that the test statistic exhibits asymptotic normality under the null hypothesis of homoskedasticity, and the simulation results reveal that the proposed testing procedure obtains accurate empirical sizes and powers. Finally, the procedure is applied to real economic data.

Вторая русская революция и утопический проект духовной аристократии Н.А. Бердяева

Throughout many years Berdyaev discusses the problem of spiritual aristocracy formation in Russia. The Russian philosopher defends an imperishable value of spiritual aristocracy, as he doesn’t see a direct connection between the socio-historical environment and the emergence of “knights of spirit”. In his works he underlines the priority of the universal objective Divine will, calls for renewing Christianity and all aspects of public life, connects religious revival only with the development of a person. Berdyaev believes that the ‘people-nation’ can be aristocratic if it is ready to subordinate their own actions to the absolute Divine will. In 1917-1918 the idea of a hierarchical structure of any reality defines a train of Berdyaev’s thought. The being of the free person is closely connected with cosmic hierarchy. Creativity and social equality are not compatible, creativity demands inequality; the nature of creativity and the essence of the person are aristocratic. The Russian thinker welcomes the overthrow of autocracy. He denies class foundation of the ongoing revolution, exposes bourgeois, non-creative base of the socialist idea. Berdyaev sees the cause of ‘the sacred realm’ downfall in the estrangement of Russian people from the state power, absence of spiritual aristocracy in Russia. He accounts for the victory of democracy as an external condition of spiritual knighthood’s making, whose thoughts are directed outside of the empirical world, a necessity and compulsion realm. The Russian philosopher hopes that the democratic revolution will release spiritual forces of the people, whose ascending creative movement will be accompanied by the formation of national spiritual aristocracy. But in July 1917 Berdyaev ascertains that Russia is sacrificed to revolutionary element. He considers the propensity of the Russian person to social utopias as a consequence of centuries-old slavish existence of the people, the absence of the sense of duty and responsibility in the Russian national character. The victory of Bolsheviks in race for power by autumn of 1917 has confirmed Berdyaev’s worst fears: the triumph in Russia of a bourgeois ideal of prosperous habitation in the material world, ideals of equality and justice over a hierarchical principle of the universe design acted as a characteristic symptom of Russian people’s degradation, transformed the project of national aristocracy of spirit into a utopia. The article also shows how the adherents of Marxist ideology have turned this project into a caricature on the philosophy of history.

Analisis Penerapan Undang-Undang Nomor 25 Tahun 2009 Tentang Pelayanan Publik di Sekretariat Daerah Kabupaten Bolaang Mongondow Utara

The purpose of the study was to find out the implementation of Law Number 25 of 2009 concerning Public Services in North Bolaang Monondow Regency. To find out what factors influence the implementation of Law Number 25 of 2009 in North Bolaang Mongondow Regency. In this study the authors used the Empirical research method. the authors conducted direct and structured research. The data analysis used in this research is qualitative analysis. Qualitative data is raw data from the empirical world. Qualitative data is raw data from the empirical world. Qualitative data is in the form of detailed descriptions, direct quotes and case documentation. So the problem is because in providing public services to the community has not implemented minimum standards so that many people feel that they have not received the services they should get. This situation causes the community as recipients or users of public services to be unsatisfied, causing many people to feel dissatisfied, so they are reluctant to take care of everything related to the government bureaucracy. As a result, there are many people who try to take shortcuts by violating existing regulations.

Contrasting Approaches to Language, Meaning, and Knowledge in Advaita Vedanta and the Western Literary Traditions

The present research article undertakes a comprehensive examination of contrasting approaches to language and meaning, topics that have engendered contemplation and discourse across a range of disciplines including literature, philosophy, and linguistics. The article commences by delving into the foundational disparities between Indian and Western literary theories concerning the intricate relationship binding knowledge and meaning. While the Western tradition concentrates predominantly on interpreting textual meaning, treating literary works as subjects for analysis and critique, the Indian tradition perceives concepts and ideas within texts as indirect indicators of reality and self-realization. The ancient Indian school of thought, Advaita Vednata, presents a distinctive viewpoint on the dynamic interplay between language and meaning. The article further dissects the distinct attributes of the seemingly paradoxical and contradictory language prevalent in classical Indian texts. Through this exploration, it strives to uncover the methodology of constructing meaning as employed within the framework of Advaita Vednata. This analysis is juxtaposed against the approach to linguistic interpretation prevalent in the Western literary tradition—a tradition largely rooted in the empirical world. Advaita Vedanta places significance on direct experience or anubhava, prioritizing it over transmitted knowledge, and acknowledges that the true essence of the self transcends human comprehension. By navigating the quandary of defining literary language, elucidating the process of meaning-making in Western literary theory, delving into Advaita Vednata philosophy, and studying the role of language in representing the essence of the self, this research aspires to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing discourse in the areas of literary criticism and philosophical studies.

Michael A. Verney, A Great and Rising Nation: Naval Exploration and Global Empire in the Early US Republic by Anthony Peebler

Michael A. Verney, A Great and Rising Nation: Naval Exploration and Global Empire in the Early US Republic by Anthony Peebler

Carving out the absence within

This article explores the technique of rilievo (Italian for “relief”) employed in Renaissance painting to form a three-dimensional object, usually a figure, which stands out from the background. Transferred to philosophical and literary writing, rilievo is used to shape the two-dimensional medium of the text and carve out a concept that stands in a negative relation with the empirical world. Writing, like the work of art, includes what it appropriates from the empirical world, presents it in a new form, and affirms the existence of what is not visible in the material alone. Relying on Theodor W. Adorno’s dialectical understanding of the artwork’s self-negation and Maurice Blanchot’s writing of desubjectivation, I argue that, unlike the additive process of shaping a figure or a concept, negative rilievo is the process of recovering constitutive absence.

Manila and their agents in the court: long-distance political communication and imperial configuration in the seventeenth-century Spanish monarchy

ABSTRACTThe first ‘globalization’, which from the sixteenth century united the four parts (or continents) of the world, was first of all accomplished in terms of distance and time. There was extreme tension between the Philippines, the last circle of the Hispanic Empire, and its centre, Madrid. Here, information and instructions took three to five years, round trip. Contemporaries were aware of such tension and the complexities it entailed. For this, the Philippine authorities relied on the so-called procuradores (procurators), a group of deputies entrusted with power of attorney, who travelled across the globe, facing constant dangers, unforeseen difficulties and often long delays. Procuradores travelled a variety of routes, including going directly to Spain (‘La carrera de España’), travelling through the viceroyalty of New Spain and its capital Mexico City or crossing the Indian Ocean. In a global empire like the Spanish Catholic monarchy, authorities had to rely on individuals entrusted with producing and transmitting information, which they had to physically submit in the form of pleas and reports at court. In essence, the monarchs’ decision-making process in the Iberian Peninsula relied on information from the Empire’s local communities. Imperial policy is not therefore developed in one centre or in several centres, but in multilateral exchanges on different scales. This essay highlights three interconnected issues: first, the role of information as resource and crucial asset in the relationship between the King, his agents and his distant subjects; second, the importance of travel and physical presence at the Spanish Court for submitting pleas that, theoretically, could have been sent via letter; finally, the interconnection of religious, political and economic interests in the management of the monarchy’s affairs. The authors conclude with two case studies describing the religious experience of displacement and supplication: the journeys of Diego de Guevara to Fernando Moraga.

The Power of Unintended Consequences: Strategic Naïvety, China and the End of the US Empire

AbstractThe decline of major global empires has frequently rested upon an act of strategic naïvety. Such an action or decision, although innocuous at the time, results many decades later in those empires collapsing. History is punctuated by examples of great powers that have misjudged the intentions of a rising power, leading to a highly adversarial relationship. Such unintended consequences can be seen in United States policy towards China, which has allowed Beijing to emerge as a clear competitor that is threatening to usurp US hegemony. This article considers these dynamics across seven major empires, dating from ancient Carthage circa 814 BC to modern day Pax Americana. By connecting the past to the present, we find that comparable acts of strategic naïvety by other empires are now increasingly evident in current US‐China relations, and which have often occurred for similar reasons.

Statistical modelling of aquatic size spectra: integrating data from multiple taxa and sampling methods

Abstract Size spectra are used to assess the status and functioning of marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Their use is underpinned by theory linking the dynamics of trophic interactions to a power-law decline of abundance with body size in ecological communities. Recent papers on empirical size spectrum estimation have argued for Maximum Likelihood Estimation of power-law probability distributions as a more accurate alternative to traditional linear regression approaches. One major limitation of currently used size spectrum estimators from Maximum Likelihood Estimation is that they cannot account for the use of multiple sampling protocols, nor the distortions caused by gear size selectivity, and therefore they become restricted to a relatively narrow taxonomic group and size range. Further progress in the field requires new methods that are flexible enough to combine multiple trophic groups and sampling gears into a single size spectrum estimate, while taking advantage of more accurate distributional approaches. The method we propose in this paper fills this gap by deriving the distribution of observed sizes explicitly from the underlying power-law spectrum and gear selectivity functions. It specifies likelihoods as a product of two components: (i) the probability of belonging to a given group and (ii) the probability distribution within the group. Using Bayesian estimation, we applied the method to surveys of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fishes in lakes of Quetico Provincial Park, northwestern Ontario, using Van Dorn samplers, zooplankton nets, gillnets, and hydroacoustics. The results show that the spectra estimated from subsets of trophic groups or gears are weak predictors of more complete spectra, highlighting the importance of using more inclusive community data. The two-component partitioning of likelihoods also helped demonstrate the existence of between-group spectrum slopes that were overall steeper than within-group slopes, indicating that heterogeneity of trophic transfers across the size spectrum is an important factor structuring these ecosystems.

Epistemology of Islamic Education: Criticism and Alternative Solutions

The purpose of this study is to critique the epistemology of Islamic education in the 21st century, analyze existing problems, and propose alternative solutions. This research employs a qualitative approach, using descriptive analysis methods and a literature review to explore various discussions on the epistemology of Islamic education. Data is validated through source triangulation and then analyzed through collection, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that, despite rapid advancements in education due to technology and globalization, there remain unresolved issues. Critiques of Islamic education epistemology still focus on the dominance of source and tool aspects in studying Islamic epistemology, which tends to be static and non-exploratory. Proposed solutions include an emphasis on empirically-based epistemology, theoretical intellectual knowledge, and a focus on student creativity. Furthermore, in the development of Islamic education curriculum, aspects that are dogmatic and transcendental need to be connected with the empirical world. This research has limitations in terms of scope and depth of analysis, but it has practical implications for the development of more relevant and contextual Islamic education.

The Study of Life in Doing Theology: Overcoming the forces of death

Theology used to be regarded as the queen of the sciences; now it is alienated from the main body of academic activities, especially the natural sciences. We need theological reflection that serves all the academic disciplines, as an integral part of the study of life. Theology is needed to help overcome the reductionism of the modern sciences and the fragmentation of the full reality of life. Theology should function as an integrative discourse to build a holistic relationship among the disciplines. Two tasks will be presented: (1) The Story of Life as an integrative discourse on life; and (2) Convergence of the Eastern Wisdom of life and the modern sciences of life as a way toward multi-disciplinary methodology. In the 21st century the universal issue is life: the life of all living beings, and how to overcome the powers that destroy life, such as war, poverty, hunger, disease, political oppression, cultural desertification and ecological disruption, in the context of imperial hegemony. The global empire and the global market, organized by modern technocratic power and based on modern scientific knowledge, have created an omnicidal threat on an unprecedented scale.

Влияние позднего творчества Вл. Соловьева на философию истории А. Кожева

The later work of Vladimir Soloviev, more specifically his Three Conversations on War, Progress, and the End of World History, is considered as one of the origins of Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history. The general characteristics of Kozhev's anthropological and historiosophic views and their comparison with the concept of history presented in Solovyev's Three Conversations are given. The comparative analysis of the views of both philosophers revealed eight conceptual points, which are presented in both historiosophic doctrine of the late Soloviev and in Alexander Kozhev's philosophy of history as well. The attention is drawn to the fact that both French thinker and Russian philosopher believe that post-historical state is characterized by the absence of wars and termination of existence of separate national states, replaced by supranational structures of government, which will later be abolished in favor of a single World Empire, based on radical egalitarianism. It is noted that both philosophers agree that the world after history is an undifferentiated culturally homogeneous space in which an apparent material prosperity coexists with a latent spiritual crisis characterized by primitivization of the man, disappearance of culture, domination of atheism, devaluation of Christian values. The emphasis is placed on the affinity between Kozhev's image of Napoleon and Solovyov's figure of the antichrist, whereas in both cases the question is about a personality who expansively imposes his individuality on the world, a subject who moves humanity by his actions into a posthistorical space by means of the establishment of the Total Empire. The main difference between Kozhev's historiosophical concept and Solovyov's is also considered. It consists in the fact that Kozhev's 'end of History' takes place in a purely secular dimension, while Solovyov, who stands on a religious position, leaves room for messianism. In summary, based on the many considered conceptual coincidences between Solovyov's and Kozhev's doctrines, we conclude the late Solovyov's work has influenced on Kozhev's historiosophy.

Short T dynamic panel data models with individual, time and interactive effects

SummaryThis paper proposes a transformed quasi‐maximum likelihood (TQML) estimator for short dynamic fixed effects panel data models allowing for interactive effects through a multifactor error structure. The proposed estimator is robust to the heterogeneity of the initial values and common unobserved effects, while at the same time allowing for standard fixed and time effects. It is applicable to both stationary and unit root cases. The order condition for identification of the number of interactive effects is established, and conditions are derived under which the parameters are locally identified. It is shown that global identification in the presence of the lagged dependent variable cannot be guaranteed. The TQML estimator is proven to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. A sequential multiple testing likelihood ratio procedure is also proposed for estimation of the number of factors which is shown to be consistent. Finite sample results obtained from Monte Carlo simulations show that the proposed procedure for determining the number of factors performs very well, and the TQML estimator has small bias and root mean square error (RMSE) and correct empirical size in most settings. The practical use of the TQML approach is demonstrated by means of two empirical illustrations from the literature on cross county crime rates and cross country growth regressions.

Europeans in Japan: from trade to knowledge

The Dutch trading posts, first at Hirado and later at Deshima in northwest Kyushu, existed from 1609 to 1855. These almost two and a half centuries can be roughly divided in two parts. In the XVII th and the beginning of the XVIII th century the relations between the Dutch and the Japanese were marked by the mutual interest in trade and by the readiness of the Dutch to unconditionally obey the strict rules of their presence in Japan. The second half of Dutch presence at Desima is characterized by decline of trade and increase of mutual interest. Trade began to decline after the Shogunate prohibited the export of gold and silver in 1668. In 1743 for the first time trade with Japan became unprofitable. In 1799 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ceased to exist. This was due both to the loss of its markets in Persia, India, and Europe and to increased competition with England and France for colonial markets. Another reason for the company's bankruptcy was the managerial errors of its management - the company was paying dividends to shareholders in Holland that exceeded its profits. Despite the economic losses, both sides were in no hurry to end the relationship. For Japan, Deshima remained a small window to Europe, through which they learned about the outside world and its scientific and technological achievements. The emergence of qualified translators from the Dutch language in Japan coincided with the Shogunate's interest in the development of science, opened up a source of knowledge for the country and the emergence of a new branch of science, Rangaku, which means «Dutch science». The Netherlands, maintaining its trading post in Japan, proceeded not only from the desire to maintain its status as a global empire, but also got a chance to study and appreciate the rather unique intellectual and cultural potential of the Japanese, becoming a unique source of knowledge about this country for Europe. Last 15 years of Tokugawa period is called Bakumatsu (what means the «end of Tokugawa period»), which was followed by Meiji restoration, and development of intensive contacts between Europe and Japan.