Modern Mainstream Research Articles

Problem-based learning: a non-mainstream way to teach economics

For several decades teaching in economics has been characterised by uniformity: most economics departments focus exclusively on mainstream economics leaving little room for systematically addressing real-life phenomena. However, due to the severe financial crisis many economists have become critical of modern mainstream macroeconomics. Surprisingly enough, though, economics pedagogy has not changed significantly. Economics is, in general, still dominated by the mainstream, although some universities have emphasised progressive teaching methods. As a case study, we discuss how we teach economics at the Aalborg University, Denmark. We teach economics pluralistically, incorporating both orthodoxy and a range of heterodox approaches to address issues in economics. Our pedagogy has a post-Keynesian flavour while emphasising problem-based learning.

Why Can the Behavior Experiments Directed by Game Theory Experts Confirm the Mainstream Economics: On the Control of Experimental Conditions and Corresponding Diversity of Experimental Outcomes

The experimental outcomes are usually influenced by controlled experimental conditions. It is the different design of experimental conditions that leads to the diversity of experimental outcomes. To a large extent, because of the construction of double-blind settings that is similar with economic man, the experimental results achieved by game theory experts usually confirm the thinking logic and corresponding theories of modern mainstream economics. At the same time, knowledge structure of game theory experts and study objects contribute to the phenomenon that game theory experts tend to control experimental conditions strictly and are keen on double-blind settings. Generally, game theory experts prefer to test subjects' behavioral logic in the given game context, and even feel uneasy about the effects of some interference factors on the experimental results. However, this kind of controlled experimental condition is usually suitable to the market competition behavior where a large number of persons participate in, but is dramatically different from the situations of people's daily life. Therefore, in order to explore the general behavior mechanism in people's daily life better through behavioral experiments, it is necessary to improve the experiment conditions such as the matrix type of the game, environmental structure, subject characteristics and dynamics, so that the game context of experiments will be as close as possible to the real environment, which is the basic requirement and development direction of experimental and behavioral economics.

ON REASONABLE ESTIMATE OF ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS SUSTENANCE WITH CENTRALIZED HEAT-SUPPLY SYSTEM

As consisted with Directive No 3 of President of the Republic of Belarus of June, 14th 2007 ‘Economy and Husbandry – the Major Factors of Economic Security of the Republic of Belarus’, saving fuel-and-energy resources over the republic in 2010–2015 should amount to 7,1–8,9 MIO tons of fuel equivalent including 1,00–1,25 MIO tons of fuel equivalent at the expense of heat-supply optimization and 0,25–0,40 MIO tons of fuel equivalent at the expense of increasing enclosing structures heat resistance of the buildings, facilities and housing stock. It means, where it is expected to obtain around 18 % of general thermal resources economy in the process of heat-supply optimization, then by means of enhancing the cladding structure heat resistance of the buildings and constructions of various applications – only about 3–5 % and even a bit less so of the housing stock. Till 1994, in residential sector of the Republic of Belarus, the annual heat consumption of the heating and ventilation averaged more than 130 kW×h/(m 2 ×year) (~56 %), of the hot-water supply – around 100 kW×h/(m 2 ×year) (~44 %). In residential houses, built from 1994 to 2009, heat consumption of the heating and ventilation is already 90 kW×h/(m 2 ×year), of the hot-water supply – around 70 kW×h/(m 2 ×year). In buildings of modern mainstream construction, they expend 60 kW×h/(m 2 ×year) (~46 %) on heating and ventilation and 70 kW×h/(m 2 ×year) (~54 %) on hot-water supply. In some modern residential buildings with the exhausted warm air secondary energy resource utilization, the heating and ventilation takes around 30–40 kW×h/(m 2 ×year) of heat. Raising energy performance of the residential buildings by means of reducing heat expenses on the heating and ventilation is the last segment in the system of energy resources saving. The first segments in the energy performance process are producing heat and transporting it over the main lines and outside distribution networks. In the period from 2006 to 2013, by virtue of the heat-supply schemes optimization and modernizing the heating systems using valuable (200–300 $US per 1 m) though hugely effective preliminary coated pipes, the economy reached 2,7 MIO tons of fuel equivalent. Heat-energy general losses in municipal services of Belarus in March 2014 amounted up 17 %, whilst in 2001 they were at the level of 26 % and in 1990 – more than 30 %. With a glance to multi-staging and multifactorial nature (electricity, heat and water supply) of the residential sector energy saving, the reasonable estimate of the residential buildings sustenance energy efficiency should be performed in tons of fuel equivalent in a unit of time.

Toward Surface Plasmon-Enhanced Optical Parametric Amplification (SPOPA) with Engineered Nanoparticles: A Nanoscale Tunable Infrared Source.

Active optical processes such as amplification and stimulated emission promise to play just as important a role in nanoscale optics as they have in mainstream modern optics. The ability of metallic nanostructures to enhance optical nonlinearities at the nanoscale has been shown for a number of nonlinear and active processes; however, one important process yet to be seen is optical parametric amplification. Here, we report the demonstration of surface plasmon-enhanced difference frequency generation by integration of a nonlinear optical medium, BaTiO3, in nanocrystalline form within a plasmonic nanocavity. These nanoengineered composite structures support resonances at pump, signal, and idler frequencies, providing large enhancements of the confined fields and efficient coupling of the wavelength-converted idler radiation to the far-field. This nanocomplex works as a nanoscale tunable infrared light source and paves the way for the design and fabrication of a surface plasmon-enhanced optical parametric amplifier.

The Motley World of “International Values”: Modes of Production on the World Market

I venture to describe the world market from the viewpoint of those different extant modes of production which deliver commodities in “foreign” trade. The world market is, then, understood strictly in its basic feature, as a market for material products, all called commodities. The term “exchange”, which has to be used with some indeterminacy to begin with, is explained in greater detail as I proceed. In this regard, the most important sections are nos. 2 and 3. The term “modes of production” will also be clarified in due place, and primarily in Sections 9 and 10. I find such a concept necessary for an adequate background description of the products which are poured onto any market. I primarily analyze the capitalist mode of production through the concept of intensity of labour (cf. 4 and 9), which plays a main role even in Marx’s theory of the “modifications” of the law of value on the world market. Also, I find what is often labelled “Karl Marx’s theory of international values” to be correct in its foundations, and I will take a point of departure in it—especially apparent in sections 1, 2 and 3. A target for criticism in this article is the modern mainstream theory of “factors of production” in so far as it is found feasible for an analysis of the movements on the world market. This is briefly done in Section 8. In Section 6, I consider David Ricardo’s theory of “comparative advantages” as a counter-example to that theory. I use some terrain to show that the real historical and social background of the economic functioning of the so-called “factors”—capital, land and labour—must be a measuring rod for whether a factor theory is viable or not. To do this, I depend (cf. again Sections 9 and 10) to a high degree of Marx’s theory of those factors considered as forms of organized class forces—a viewpoint which played a central role in his preparing of the three volumes of Capital. While the Marxian theory insofar is adequate, it is also useful in analyzing the aborted or undeveloped state of those modes of production which, beneath the advanced capitalist one, supply the world market with material products. This ought to become clear especially in Sections 10 and 11. As my text expands, I try to show how the said inconsistency in the Ricardian model is based on self-contradictions in value theory, especially in his thoughts about money and prices. I also try to show that Marx’s criticism of Ricardo’s value theory has a potential to overcome precisely these weaknesses; the fact that these last are mostly ignored in contemporary literature, represents the perhaps most deadly threat against competent socialist theory-building today. This makes it appropriate to comment on some extant, typical Marxisant attempts to understand Marx’s position (cf. Section 5). The theme in itself, on the other hand, is tentatively being analyzed primarily in Section 7.

Lesbian's Representation Evolution in Mainstream Media

This article aims to show the integration of Lesbians in a western context through all types of mainstream media such as film, prime-time television shows and Internet based web series. These aims were followed by means of a research conducted on exploring Lesbians' evolution from niche margins and stereotypes into modern mainstream media, by shattering the “Butch & Femme” distribution patterns, negative and prejudice stigmas while showing the advancement of modern society with regard to this issue. Most researchers found in this area focus on the gay male media influences and not on female. Researches that do focus on the female issue focus on traditional culture in women’s genre, such as: soap operas, novels, women’s journals and female studies. Thus, a gap in knowledge exists regarding the evolution of lesbian character’s evolution representation in the various media. The study used a mixed research methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Additionally, theoretical and media analysis were conducted, as well as anonymous questionnaires, convenience sample focus group and structured interviews. The data was collected concurrently or sequentially and later given a priority and involve the integration of the data at one or more stages in the process of the research. The findings show the shattering of stereotypes and patterns throughout the years and the evolution of the Lesbian characters within the various types of media, leaving prejudice behind and evolving into mainstream, by shattering stereotypes over time. Thus mainstreamism is all around us and will continue to grow and perhaps expose other marginalized groups into the mainstream awareness in the future. This research contributed to theory by closing the gap in knowledge regarding lesbian representation evolution in the media. Additionally, the research added to knowledge by creating a change in the perception of Queer theory, while portraying this theory as irrelevant when it comes to describe lesbians’ representation in the media as approaching the mainstream. Thus, a change in the perception of Queer as a social phenomenon will occur, by understanding that ‘queer’ is no longer a sexual oriented definition. Within modern society adopting a culture that advocates for individuality and uniqueness, being queer can no longer be considered as being whatever is at odds with the normal. Since this topic has never been researched before, this is an original and an innovative research, as it developed a model of Lesbian Mainstream Representation Evolution in the Media.

The Will as Key to Christology

In the last decades naturalism, the view that everything works by complex natural processes, leaving free will an illusory phenomenon, has gained influence in the intellectual climate of the West. This article addresses this issue from an unusual angle: the almost forgotten debate about the will(s) of Christ. It shows that classic Christian theology, during the course of its development, has come to articulate a non-naturalistic view of human nature, by stating that the nature ‘assumed’ by the second divine person includes a proper human free will. Theologically this means that, pace mainstream modern and postmodern orthodox theology, even in Christology human nature cannot be a mere instrument of God and his will.

Beyond convention: reimagining indigenous tourism

ABSTRACTAs a knowledge domain, contemporary indigenous tourism is framed in reference to cultures conventionally recognized as ‘indigenous,’ and engages this almost exclusively from a supply-side perspective. This paper reimagines indigeneity and indigenous tourism as embracing also the other 94% of global population. From a utilitarian perspective, this inclusion of ‘nonconventional indigenous people’ harbors opportunities to advance the sustainability agenda by reconnecting modern mainstream cultures, through personal exposure in dispersed settings, with ancestral roots and associated sustainable livelihoods. Such reconnections are framed as a form of re-indigenization that may be especially attractive to ‘travel promiscuous’ diasporic populations such as those found in the ‘settler’ countries of Canada, United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Articulation of this concept could be facilitated by existing knowledge domains and products in heritage tourism, rural tourism, and urban tourism, as well as sustainable tourism. Rather than usurping conventional indigenous efforts to re-indigenize and re-empower, it is contended that the nonconventional dimension can coexist with and even reinforce the latter, while enriching the dimensions of indigenous tourism as a dynamic knowledge domain.

A Case Study of Modern Medical Practice and Islamic Complementary Therapy on a Patient with Over 2000 Embedded Nails

<p>In South East Asia, patients often resort to various forms of complementary therapy apart from utilizing mainstream modern medicine in Hospitals. Islamic-based complementary therapy employs various forms of bio-physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual interventional methods based on the prevailing belief and cultural system to provide a holistic <em>Syariah</em> compliant approach in patient management. The concept of diseases caused by sorcery and paranormal means using intermediaries like Jinn and evil spirits that have been in existence since time immemorial across religions, cultures and societies around the world, for example, Homer in Ancient Greece, the legendary Medea, and Witch of Endor in the Bible. Currently, the practice of black magic and the belief in the paranormal still widely exist in the midst of modern civilization in this region. Modern medical practice has no definitive answer for a person with an unusual medical illness who is believed to have been afflicted by black magic because of its non-specific clinical presentation and non-response to conventional management paradigm which defies medical logic. In this paper, we describe a true case of a lady, 25 years-of-age, who suffered from more than 2000 nails embedded inside her body for one and a half years. Upon admission to a Hospital in Indonesia, she underwent a surgical procedure to remove all of the nails but to no avail; the nails re-appeared at other parts of her body. The surgical team later decided to conduct an Islamic complementary therapy on the patient, and subsequently, managed to extract all of the remaining nails without further bleeding. In conclusion, unusual or mysterious medical illness, sometimes referred to as idiopathic in etiology, not responding to conventional medical or surgical intervention, may potentially benefit from the use of Islamic complementary therapy.</p>

A Case Study of Modern Medical Practice and Islamic Complementary Therapy on a Patient with Over 2000 Embedded Nails

<p>In South East Asia, patients often resort to various forms of complementary therapy apart from utilizing mainstream modern medicine in Hospitals. Islamic-based complementary therapy employs various forms of bio-physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual interventional methods based on the prevailing belief and cultural system to provide a holistic <em>Syariah</em> compliant approach in patient management. The concept of diseases caused by sorcery and paranormal means using intermediaries like Jinn and evil spirits that have been in existence since time immemorial across religions, cultures and societies around the world, for example, Homer in Ancient Greece, the legendary Medea, and Witch of Endor in the Bible. Currently, the practice of black magic and the belief in the paranormal still widely exist in the midst of modern civilization in this region. Modern medical practice has no definitive answer for a person with an unusual medical illness who is believed to have been afflicted by black magic because of its non-specific clinical presentation and non-response to conventional management paradigm which defies medical logic. In this paper, we describe a true case of a lady, 25 years-of-age, who suffered from more than 2000 nails embedded inside her body for one and a half years. Upon admission to a Hospital in Indonesia, she underwent a surgical procedure to remove all of the nails but to no avail; the nails re-appeared at other parts of her body. The surgical team later decided to conduct an Islamic complementary therapy on the patient, and subsequently, managed to extract all of the remaining nails without further bleeding. In conclusion, unusual or mysterious medical illness, sometimes referred to as idiopathic in etiology, not responding to conventional medical or surgical intervention, may potentially benefit from the use of Islamic complementary therapy.</p>

The role of concurrency in an evolutionary view of programming abstractions

In this paper we examine how concurrency has been embodied in mainstream programming languages. In particular, we rely on the evolutionary talking borrowed from biology to discuss major historical landmarks and crucial concepts that shaped the development of programming languages. We examine the general development process, occasionally deepening into some language, trying to uncover evolutionary lineages related to specific programming traits. We mainly focus on concurrency, discussing the different abstraction levels involved in present-day concurrent programming and emphasizing the fact that they correspond to different levels of explanation. We then comment on the role of theoretical research on the quest for suitable programming abstractions, recalling the importance of changing the working framework and the way of looking every so often. This paper is not meant to be a survey of modern mainstream programming languages: it would be very incomplete in that sense. It aims instead at pointing out a number of remarks and connect them under an evolutionary perspective, in order to grasp a unifying, but not simplistic, view of the programming languages development process.

Locality-Aware Work Stealing Based on Online Profiling and Auto-Tuning for Multisocket Multicore Architectures

Modern mainstream powerful computers adopt multisocket multicore CPU architecture and NUMA-based memory architecture. While traditional work-stealing schedulers are designed for single-socket architectures, they incur severe shared cache misses and remote memory accesses in these computers. To solve the problem, we propose a locality-aware work-stealing (LAWS) scheduler, which better utilizes both the shared cache and the memory system. In LAWS, a load-balanced task allocator is used to evenly split and store the dataset of a program to all the memory nodes and allocate a task to the socket where the local memory node stores its data for reducing remote memory accesses. Then, an adaptive DAG packer adopts an auto-tuning approach to optimally pack an execution DAG into cache-friendly subtrees. After cache-friendly subtrees are created, every socket executes cache-friendly subtrees sequentially for optimizing shared cache usage. Meanwhile, a triple-level work-stealing scheduler is applied to schedule the subtrees and the tasks in each subtree. Through theoretical analysis, we show that LAWS has comparable time and space bounds compared with traditional work-stealing schedulers. Experimental results show that LAWS can improve the performance of memory-bound programs up to 54.2% on AMD-based experimental platforms and up to 48.6% on Intel-based experimental platforms compared with traditional work-stealing schedulers.

TÜRK-İSLAM AKEOLOJİSİ: KISITLAR VE FIRSATLAR

The establishment of the discipline of the Turkish-Islamic Archaeology historically coincides with some contempo­rary debates in social sciences. This study primarily reveals some socio-scientific and socio-political issues, which are the potentials and limitations of Turkish-Islamic Archaeology discipline embedded in a common scientific dis­course. The problems of Turk-Islamic Archeology are evaluated in two stratums: on the one hand the structural problems related to main stream modern social science tradition and on the other hand specific problems inherent in general to Turkish social science and in private to Turkish archaeology science. In this study, the structural aspects of archaeology formed through modern knowledge and academy systematic are conceptualized as culturalism, a-culturalism, time politics, taxonomy concept and methodological issues related to theory. These paradigmatic features, at the same time incorporate both promises of and provided opportunities by Turkish-Islamic Archaeology as a po­tential. This study evaluates commonality of troubles and opportunity fields specific to the production of time, space and culture with regard to archaeology and discusses time politics as the basis of archaeological knowledge. In this study, Turkish-Islamic archaeology is confronted with the theoretical agenda and main approaches of archaeology; afterwards Turkish-Islamic archeology is evaluated through both critical/hermeneutic and constituent/constructive aims. This study tries to evaluate scientific opportunities and disadvantages of Turk-Islamic archeology as well as brings forward some proposals.

Semiosis and ‘meaning as use’: The indispensability and insufficiency of subjectivity in the action of signs

Thematic development of semiotics proves to be a transformative event for intellectual culture, manifesting itself to begin with in its reshaping of the usage of many philosophical terms in their reflection of mainstream modern philosophy as its influence has sedimented down the level of ordinary language, i.e., today’s common speech. Central among these terms are subject and object as modern usage has established their sense, a sense which proves incompatible with the understanding of things that is emerging from the cenoscopic analysis of the being and action of signs. In particular also the term ‘relation’, surely among the most widely used and least analysed terms of philosophy today, proves upon semiotic analysis to require a whole new understanding of the subjectivity/objectivity and object/thing distinctions as they have come to be more or less “settled” in modern usage. This essay explores the implications for such usage consequent upon the postmodern development of semiotics as the “doctrine” or “cenoscopic science” of signs.

Examination of mid-nineteenth century double bass playing based on A. Müller and F.C. Franke’s discourse in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, 1848 – 1851

Name: Shanti Nachtergaele Main Subject: Violone Research Coach: Anna Scott Title of Research: Examination of Mid-Nineteenth Century Double Bass Playing Based on A. Müller and F.C. Franke’s Discourse in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, 1848 – 1851: With a discussion of the relevance of historical techniques to modern conventional and historically informed (‘HIP’) performance practices Research Questions: • Should historical double bass techniques be incorporated into historically informed performance (‘HIP’) practices today, and how can historical techniques be used to enhance modern performances? • Who was F.C. Franke, what insights can he and August Müller provide about the state of double bass playing c. 1850, and which of their ideas can be applied by double bassists today? • Can Müller’s and Franke’s contrasting ideas be combined, and what benefits does this integration offer to both ‘HIP’ and mainstream modern performers? Summary of Results: In the period 1849 - 1851, a collection of articles by A. Müller and F.C. Franke appeared in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, which discussed various aspects of double bass playing. The two double bassists agreed on some points, including that the double bass has a very important role in the orchestra, that there was a lack of good double bass players at the time, and the general characteristics of a good instrument; but they debated other subjects, such as playing stance, left hand technique, bow technique, the components of daily practice, and the common practice of simplifying double bass parts. Their discussion on these topics has implications for historically informed performance, especially in regards to the performance of orchestral works. During my presentation I will briefly discuss the historical background of my research, including biographical information, the state of double bass playing in the mid-nineteenth century. Using recorded audio and video examples and live demonstrations, I will then discuss the practical components of this artistic research: Franke’s and Müller’s opposing fingering methods, and Müller’s suggested modifications of the double bass parts of Beethoven's symphonies. Biography: Shanti Nachtergaele grew up in California (USA), and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Double Bass Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory, where she studied with Donovan Stokes. She currently studies historic double bass and 8’ violone with Maggie Urquhart, and is interested in exploring historical perspectives of bass pedagogy and technique. Her research won the student division of the 2014 International Society of Bassists Research Competition, and she has been invited to present at the ISB’s 2015 convention.

The contemporary relevance of a Cambridge tradition: economics as political economy, political economy as social theory and ethical theory

In this review essay I set out key aspects of Nuno Martins’ The Cambridge Revival of Political Economy. In so doing I also provide some comments on the current state of economics, since these provide some context for an appreciation of what Martins is trying to achieve. Martins is focused on making the positive case for classical political economy (CPE) as a form of theory that is quite different from the modern mainstream. For Martins that difference is based on its approach to the distribution of a surplus expressed through a social ontology that is based on historical open systems and in which the key aspect of open systems is the institutional and hence deliberative activity by which the surplus is decided, which is ultimately an issue for ethics. It is through a ‘Cambridge tradition’, focusing on Sraffa, Keynes, Lawson and Sen, that CPE, a classical social theory and ethical deliberation are brought together. Bringing them together is an act of synthesis and I conclude by providing a constructive critique of the terms of this synthesis.

Realization of Radar Warning Receiver Simulation System

According to the structure of the mainstream modern airborne radar warning receiver, a modeling method of radar warning receiver simulation system is presented in this paper, and it realized under the condition of SystemVue. The system consist of radar signal interception, parameter estimation and signal sorting, pulse description words can be obtained at last. The application of parameter estimation method, based on cyclic correlation, and the sorting method, based on detection of single source point, improve the robustness of whole simulation system. Finally, experiment results verify the feasibility of the scheme.

Culture in psychology: Perennial problems and the contemporary methodological crisis

IntroductionIncreasing dissatisfaction since the turn of the century with the methods and the corresponding theoretical thinking in psychology can be observed in international science (for example, Adair & Vohra, 2003; Essex & Smythe, 1999; Goertzen, 2008; Grace, 2001; Koltsova, 2007; Mazilov, 2006; Michell, 2003; Mironenko, 2007, 2008; Schwarz, 2009; Toomela, 2007; Valsiner, 2010; Yurevich, 1999, 2005; Zhdan, 2007; Zittoun, Gillespie, & Cornish, 2009).Common complaints about mainstream methodology are: fragments rather than wholes and relationships are analyzed; simple trait differences rather than complex psychological types are studied; data are not systematically related to complex theory; there is more concern with the accumulation of facts than with general theory (Toomela, 2007).Indeed, quantitative calculations of separate parameters without necessary interpretations, on the one hand, and blurred qualitative descriptions of particulars without generalizations, on the other hand, both of which are dominant in modern mainstream research, contribute to imbuing psychological science with a growing inventory of scattered facts that do not lead to genuine understanding of human personality and essential qualities of humans. As a result we find a decrease in the prestige of psychological science, which manifests itself in methodological selfassessment of its status as a as well as in a general decline in its value in public consciousness.Understanding the origins of the current situation and identifying the causes of the in contemporary psychology are necessary for finding a way out, just as treatment is impossible without a diagnosis and a remedy must address not only the symptoms but the causes of a disease.Is it still the same crisis?What are the origins of the actual in psychology? In the literature the idea of a permanent methodological in psychology, lasting since the 1890s, dominates. As has been noted many times (Veresov 2010; Yurevich 1999, 2005; and others), assessments of methodological crises in psychology given by William James, Karl Biihler, Lev Vygotsky, and others, do not differ much from modern assessments.Should we accept this view? Should we consider that, in psychological science for more than a century of its development, there were no changes radical enough to revise its general condition? New schools appeared; the norms and ideals of science changed in the course of the transformation of classical science into nonclassical and post-non-classical science; psychology became a mass profession, which significantly changed the ratio of academic to applied research and the structure of the professional community. Can it still be the same in psychology? It hardly seems possible.Moreover, the discourse of the renowned of the late 19th century to the first third of the 20th century was and still is focused on the problem of the disunity of psychological science, on the lack of mutual understanding and constructive cooperation by theoretical schools (Hyman & Sturm, 2008; Koltsova, 2007; Mazilov, 2006; Yurevich, 1999, 2005, 2009; Zhdan, 2007). The key idea of the old crisis discourse was that various schools and traditions in psychology lack cohesion and integrative efforts. As a result there is hardly any concept or theory that is accepted and understood in the same way by everybody in the scientific community. Psychological academia is scattered and disunited, and this condition stops it from progressing further. Epistemological problems, although discussed, were and are considered by most authors in the context of this disunity and are understood explicitly or implicitly as spawned by it.However, we believe that there is every reason to assume that disunity is no longer a problem for mainstream scientific psychology and that the of competing theories has largely been overcome (Mandler, 2011). …

Hume's Scepticism Revisited

AbstractI shall situate Hume's scepticism within a broader philosophical and historical context. Firstly, I shall consider the place of Hume's thought within the early modern break with the almost millennium long metaphysical tradition, a break initiated by Descartes. The framework of being structured by a universal order was replaced by the individual human mind that broke free from any higher authority and became an autonomous cognitive agent. Subsequently, the ontological self-evidence of the world or the possibility of adequate knowledge came under sceptical attack. Hume firmly belongs to this discourse and can be seen as the most consistent exponent of this early modern sceptical line. In this light, the ‘New Hume’ claim that Hume was an ontological realist will be shown to be misplaced in principle. Secondly, the strong influence of Pyrrhonism on Hume's philosophy will be considered, together with his concept of mitigated scepticism. The Pyrrhonian legacy is especially noticeable in Hume's acceptance of the weakness of reason and in his emphasis on the instructive role of philosophy – instead of attempting to make it the foundation of science it becomes a guide to a balanced, happy life. In this respect, Hume stands outside the early modern mainstream in philosophy.

Wiz Kids, nuclear bombs, and Marvel’s Hazmat

In my paper ‘Postmodern Chinoiserie in Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese’ (2014, Literature Compass 11 (1): 1–14), I propose that existing scholarship on the portrayal of Asians and Asian Americans in American comics has largely focused upon racist newspaper cartoons from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and modern Asian-American alternative comics. There exists a small but growing body of academic literature on the depiction of Asian Americans in modern mainstream comics. In this essay I seek to develop the scholarship by analysing Marvel’’s character Hazmat (Jennifer Takeda) in the context of modern depictions of Asians and Asian Americans in American comic books and the postmemory of Nagasaki Hiroshima, and the Japanese internment camps. This paper is organised in two parts. The first focuses upon the ways in which Asians and Asian Americans have historically been depicted (or, in many cases, not depicted) in American comics. The argument includes an examination of the ways in which the Marvel character Hazmat has been written in relation to those stereotypes. The second half of the essay considers the ways in which Hazmat embodies (quite literally) the violence towards Japanese civilians during World War II, and the ethics of exploring the history of genocide through the superhero genre.