Plausible Propositions Research Articles

E-Service Delivery in Bangladesh: Major Challenges and Plausible Propositions

E-Service Delivery in Bangladesh: Major Challenges and Plausible Propositions

Quantum Theory as a Relevant Framework for the Statement of Probabilistic and Many-Valued Logic

Based on ideas of quantum theory of open systems we propose the consistent approach to the formulation of logic of plausible propositions. To this end we associate with every plausible proposition diagonal matrix of its likelihood and examine it as density matrix of relevant quantum system. We are showing that all logical connectives between plausible propositions can be represented as special positive valued transformations of these matrices. We demonstrate also the above transformations can be realized in relevant composite quantum systems by quantum engineering methods. The approach proposed allows one not only to reproduce and generalize results of well-known logical systems (Boolean, Lukasiewicz and so on) but also to classify and analyze from unified point of view various actual problems in psychophysics and social sciences.

Economic freedom in terms of kinds of government actions: An empirical investigation

This paper evaluates the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) Index on the basis of the Hayekian concept of freedom (Hayek 1960), more precisely on that of its conceptualisation in terms of the character of government actions developed in Kapás — Czeglédi (2007a). As a result of a detailed criticism, the components of the EFW index are regrouped in freedom-related, policy and other categories. Although the EFW index is not considered a good measure of economic freedom, its components and the index itself are used in empirical investigations. In these examinations the aim is to show that using freedom-related components of the EFW index (which is more in line with authors’ concept of economic freedom) instead of the index itself may lead to even more plausible propositions than those provided by the EFW index. The results provide support for this argument.

Two-stage Partial Adjustments: Evidence from Refiling Behavior in the IPO Pricing Process

This paper reexamines the relationship between price revisions and underpricing of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The price revisions are defined piecewise for IPOs with refiling(s) (the behavior of updating a new price range) in the IPO pricing process: refiling price revisions (the deviation between the midpoints of the refiling price range and the file price range) and sub-price revisions (the difference between the offer price and the midpoint of the refiling price range). 185 out of 422 IPOs in our sample (43.8%) are identified as refiling IPOs by our hand-collected data. The refiling behavior is modeled under the similar framework of information-acquisition models. Different from Bradley and Jordan (2002), our findings support the asymmetric information theory of IPO underpricing. However, we also first document a two-stage partial adjustment for the refiling IPOs: the issuers tend to partially adjust the refiling price with respect to the negative information incurred at the refiling but partially adjust the offer price with respect to the positive information obtained from the refiling to the offering. This two-stage partial adjustment of the refiling IPOs throws doubt on the traditional asymmetric information explanation on IPO underpricing. Alternatively, we provide two plausible but contradictory propositions from the underwriters' perspective. We think that without considering the refiling behavior the price adjustment is misleading: it may not be the simple evidence for the asymmetric information theory of IPO underpricing as we expect.

Men of History, Men of Category

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry and the intellectual disciple of Condillac, proposed in the Methode de nomenclature chymique of 1787 that by structuring the language of chemistry according to Condillac's theories of perfect, immediate, analytic and purely denotative language as described in the Logique, he would produce a chemical revolution (the characterization is his own in a letter to Benjamin Franklin).' For Lavoisier, a nomenclature is a denotative field understood to operate in opposition to the connotative, poetic, rhetorical and indeterminate qualities of the common language, as had already been suggested in Condillac's Treatise on Sensations (1753). Working inside the nomenclature, the chemist would not indulge in pure speculation, but would be forced to fill in the blanks already made visible by the denotative grid of the nomenclature. These blanks, for all who learn and add to the nomenclature, would prescribe the work still be done. But for Lavoisier, scientific work is not only carried out inside the nomenclature. His chemist operates as well with and within common language. The scientific nomenclature provides him with conceptual rigor, but the possibility of a balancing speculative dynamism is equally important. Otherwise, there is no way to recognize and correct mistakes, in other words, no way to theoretically innovate. By combining these two sorts of language, the chemist produces not statements whose truth is guaranteed in advance, but plausible propositions or hypotheses. A scientific language thus is not just a nomenclature, but the embedding of a

Aristotle's Endoxa and Plausible Argumentation

Aristotle's conception and use of ta endoxa are key points to our understanding of Aristotelian dialectic. But, nowadays, they are not of historical or hermeneutic importance alone, as, in Aristotle's treatment of endoxa, we still see a relevant contribution to the modern study of argumentation. I propose here an interpretation of endoxa to that effect: namely, as plausible propositions. This version is not only defensible in the Aristotelian context, it may also shed new light on some of his assumptions and methodological shortcomings – e.g. concerning the 'plausible/implausible' pair –; finally, it will even enable us to show certain basic hints and guidelines, advanced by Aristotle's study of endoxa, which still serve nowadays to orientate our studies of argumentation from the angle of a theory of plausible argument currently under construction. These hints and guidelines suggest a pragmatic, gradual and comparative discursive concept of plausibility, and point, in particular, towards the reasonable dealing with, and weighing up of, differences of opinion within this frame of reference.

Employee Cynicism: An Examination Using a Contract Violation Framework

Employee cynicism is an attitude characterized by frustration, hopelessness, and disillusionment, as well as contempt toward and distrust of business organizations, executives, and/or other objects in the workplace. This paper uses theory on contract violation to help integrate the diverse literature on cynicism and develop plausible propositions concerning some of the predictors and moderators of employee cynicism. First, the pertinent theory and research on cynicism is reviewed. Four specific domains of research are discussed in terms of their relevance to cynicism in an organizational setting. Next, the literature on psychological and implied contracts and their violation is presented as a framework for the study of employee cynicism. Finally, hypothetical linkages between cynicism and specific characteristics of the contemporary workplace are explored, offering propositions for future research.

The motive/stategy model of learning processes: some empirical findings

The motive/strategy model underlying the learning process inventories of both Biggs and Entwistle has major implications for both educational practice and research. As yet, however, there is only limited empirical support for the validity of the model. This paper reports findings, several as yet unpublished, from a number of the writer's investigations which throw light on this issue. Overall, these results question the validity of the model and fail to confirm several plausible propositions based on the model.

Neither the Purse Nor the Sword: Dynamics of Public Confidence in the Supreme Court

Systematic study of changes in support for the U.S. Supreme Court across time has not been undertaken. Armed with a time series of observations from 1966 through 1984, I provide a description of the ebb and flow of public esteem for the Court. Then I outline and test several plausible propositions about the dynamics of support. Statistical analyses compel the conclusion that apart from a relatively constant core of support, increases in judicial activism, inflation, and solicitude for the rights of the accused decreased confidence in the Court; the events surrounding Watergate and increases in presidential popularity and the public salience of the Court brought about increased popular esteem for the high bench. Previous scholars, based on cross-sections of individuals, have emphasized the public's ignorance of and disinterest in the Supreme Court and judicial policy making. The responsiveness of public support for the Court in the aggregate to political events and shifts in the behavior of the justices stands in stark contrast to the conventional image of United States citizenry as singularly out of touch with and unmoved by the Supreme Court.

Neither the Purse Nor the Sword: Dynamics of Public Confidence in the Supreme Court

Systematic study of changes in support for the U.S. Supreme Court across time has not been undertaken. Armed with a time series of observations from 1966 through 1984, I provide a description of the ebb and flow of public esteem for the Court. Then I outline and test several plausible propositions about the dynamics of support. Statistical analyses compel the conclusion that apart from a relatively constant core of support, increases in judicial activism, inflation, and solicitude for the rights of the accused decreased confidence in the Court; the events surrounding Watergate and increases in presidential popularity and the public salience of the Court brought about increased popular esteem for the high bench. Previous scholars, based on cross-sections of individuals, have emphasized the public's ignorance of and disinterest in the Supreme Court and judicial policy making. The responsiveness of public support for the Court in the aggregate to political events and shifts in the behavior of the justices stands in stark contrast to the conventional image of United States citizenry as singularly out of touch with and unmoved by the Supreme Court.

A Problem about Identity

1. The problem: Here are three plausible but incompatible propositions:(1) The answer to Locke's question (23):Could we suppose two distinct incommunicable consciousnesses acting the same body, the one constantly by day, the other by night … I ask … whether the day and the night man would not be two as distinct persons as Socrates and Plato ?is yes.(2) I am a human being. More generally, human persons are human beings.(3) Identity is not relative.

Favoritism as a Strategy in Race Relations

Social policies of favoritism are among the strategies used to compensate people for socioeconomic disadvantages suffered due to racial discrimination. The range is from preferential treatment to discrimination-in-reverse. In the former the emphasis is on equity restoration; in the latter on indemnification. Preferential treatment and discrimination-in-reverse vary in their effect on potential beneficiaries, their technical qualifications, and their self-perception. Socially sanctioned favoritism is a relatively new approach in the area of race relations. The subject is inherently sensitive. Research data concerning the impact of these policies on individuals and the society are sparse. In the absence of such findings, a number of plausible propositions are presented to stimulate empirically tested comparisons between these two policies in terms of their possible social consequences as well as on the individuals who are affected.