Popular View Research Articles

What is Taiwan’s China policy? Unpacking a mystery

This study seeks to clarify the confusion over Taiwan’s mainland China policy since 2016. A popular view suggests that Tsai Ing-wen’s policy, which incorporated both deterrence and cooperation, was based on a hedging approach. This characterization is misguided, as hedging rests on the uncertainty of the threat posed by mainland China. However, after 2016, Taiwan has viewed Beijing as a clear threat to its security. Another view suggests that Tsai’s government shifted toward a balancing approach. Yet, this balancing perspective overlooks Taiwan’s continuous and close economic ties with mainland China, which contradict structural realism’s stance that balancing tends to push rival parties toward economic decoupling. With this in mind, this article proposes an new dual-track perspective to argue that Taiwan’s post-2016 policy has, in fact, embraced a parallel approach that combines hard balancing with economic cooperation toward mainland China. This dual-track approach seeks to maximize Taiwan’s security through hard balancing and aggregate power via trade gains, and is therefore distinctive from both the hedging approach and the balancing approach. Although both hedging and dual-track approaches incorporate elements of deterrence and cooperation, their assumptions, motives, and behaviors are different. While the hedging approach is premised on the uncertainty of the threat posed by mainland China, the dual-track approach rests on the certainty of such a threat. While the hedging approach pursues muted and limited balancing to manage the security dilemma with mainland China, the dual-track approach pursues hard balancing. While the cooperation element of hedging seeks to build mutual trust with Beijing, the dual-track approach only seeks to use cooperation to profit from China’s rise.

Petrification in Contemporary Set Theory: The Multiverse and the Later Wittgenstein

Abstract This paper has two aims. First, we argue that Wittgenstein’s notion of petrification can be used to explain phenomena in advanced mathematics, sometimes better than more popular views on mathematics, such as formalism, even though petrification usually suffers from a diet of examples of a very basic nature (in particular a focus on addition of small numbers). Second, we analyse current disagreements on the absolute undecidability of CH under the notion of petrification and hinge epistemology. We argue that in contemporary set theory the usage of construction techniques for set-theoretic models in which the Continuum Hypothesis holds and those in which it fails have petrified into the normative demand that CH remain undecidable. That is, the continuous and successful practices involving the construction of various set-theoretic models now act as a normative hinge shared among practitioners, i.e., have normative force in the discipline. However, not all hinges are universal, which is why we find disagreements in set theory. We will show that this is a refinement of, and partially conflicts with, the arguments presented by set theorist Joel David Hamkins.

Fregean Aletheic Objectualism, the Flaw of False Assertion, and Truth as a Norm of Assertion

Gottlob Frege is an aletheic objectualist who regards truth as an object. For him, truth is the truth-value True, which is an object referred to by true sentences. Some interpreters argue that Frege’s claim that the True is an object is merely a byproduct of the technical features of his formal logic, Begriffsschrift. However, Frege’s works instead suggest that aletheic objectualism constitutes his philosophical position on the metaphysics of truth. Although Fregean aletheic objectualism may seem counterintuitive and unfruitful, it is, in fact, quite useful. Viewing truth as an object provides a new explanation for why there is a pro tanto reason to consider false assertion flawed. This explanation in turn strengthens support for the popular view that assertion is a norm-laden speech act.

More similarity than difference: comparison of within- and between-sex variance in early adolescent brain structure.

Background Adolescent neuroimaging studies of sex differences in the human brain predominantly examine mean differences between males and females. This focus on between-groups differences without probing relative distributions and similarities may contribute to both conflation and overestimation of sex differences and sexual dimorphism in the developing human brain. Methods We aimed to characterize the variance in brain macro- and micro-structure in early adolescence as it pertains to sex at birth using a large sample of 9-11 year-olds from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N=7,723). Specifically, for global and regional estimates of gray and white matter volume, cortical thickness, and white matter microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), we examined: within- and between-sex variance, overlap between male and female distributions, inhomogeneity of variance via the Fligner-Killeen test, and an analysis of similarities (ANOSIM). For completeness, we examined these sex differences using both uncorrected (raw) brain estimates and residualized brain estimates after using mixed-effects modeling to account for age, pubertal development, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, MRI scanner manufacturer, and total brain volume, where applicable. Results The overlap between male and female distributions was universally greater than the difference (overlap coefficient range: 0.585 - 0.985) and the ratio of within-sex and between-sex differences was similar (ANOSIM R range: -0.001 - 0.117). All cortical and subcortical volumes showed significant inhomogeneity of variance, whereas a minority of brain regions showed significant sex differences in variance for cortical thickness, white matter volume, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity. Inhomogeneity of variance was reduced after accounting for other sources of variance. Overlap coefficients were larger and ANOSIM R values were smaller for residualized outcomes, indicating greater within- and smaller between-sex differences once accounting for other covariates. Conclusions Reported sex differences in early adolescent human brain structure may be driven by disparities in variance, rather than binary, sex-based phenotypes. Contrary to the popular view of the brain as sexually dimorphic, we found more similarity than difference between sexes in all global and regional measurements of brain structure examined. This study builds upon previous findings illustrating the importance of considering variance when examining sex differences in brain structure.

Comparing the success and failure of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan's water recovery programs

AbstractThe Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) Plan is held up by some as an exemplar for world‐leading water policy, whilst others have called it a failure. Total proposed recovery was to return 3200 GL of consumptive (e.g. namely irrigation) water use to non‐consumptive (e.g. environmental) use in the MDB, making it one of the largest planned reallocations of water resources in the world. As of June 2023, over AUD$13 billion was committed financially from the Australian government to Basin water reform, with AUD$7.7 billion spent to date on water recovery programs. The implementation of the Plan has been mired in controversy, and it missed its first water recovery targets that had been set for 2024, requiring substantial legislation amendments. This study provides a qualitative policy overview comparison of the success and failure of the two main water recovery programs implemented—buyback of water entitlements from willing sellers and subsidising irrigation infrastructure (on and off‐farm) projects. It concludes that contrary to the popular view held by many, the buyback water recovery program has been a success—achieving the majority of the water recovered to date, at the least cost, with the least negative externalities—in comparison to infrastructure programs.Points for practitioners Assessing success and failure of MDB water recovery programs requires establishing effectiveness, efficiency and equity criteria. Greater work on the benefits of water reallocation downstream and cultural water is needed. A comparison of MDB buyback water recovery programs with irrigation infrastructure programs found higher net benefits for buyback programs. Use first‐best policy to address each water policy objective, not one policy aimed at addressing multi‐objectives. Overall, the Plan.s overall success is still to be determined, given the difficulty in judging environmental outcome success that is intrinsically linked with other external factors.

The temporal dynamics of visual attention.

Researchers have long debated how humans select relevant objects amid physically salient distractions. An increasingly popular view holds that the key to avoiding distractions lies in suppressing the attentional priority of a salient distractor. However, the precise mechanisms of distractor suppression remain elusive. Because the computation of attentional priority is a time-dependent process, distractor suppression must be understood within these temporal dynamics. In four experiments, we tracked the temporal dynamics of visual attention using a novel forced-response method, by which participants were required to express their latent attentional priority at varying processing times via saccades. We show that attention could be biased either toward or away from a salient distractor depending on the timing of observation, with these temporal dynamics varying substantially across experiments. These dynamics were explained by a computational model assuming the distractor and target priority signals arrive asynchronously in time and with different influences on saccadic behavior. The model suggests that distractor signal suppression can be achieved via a "slow" mechanism in which the distractor priority signal dictates saccadic behavior until a late-arriving priority signal overrides it, or a "fast" mechanism which directly suppresses the distractor priority signal's behavioral expression. The two mechanisms are temporally dissociable and can work collaboratively, resulting in time-dependent patterns of attentional allocation. The current work underscores the importance of considering the temporal dynamics of visual attention and provides a computational architecture for understanding the mechanisms of distractor suppression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Do we really need to drill through the intact ocean crust?

We must persevere to drill through the intact ocean crust to fully address fundamental questions towards completion of the plate tectonics theory. The primary questions include: what is the ocean crust made up of, how thick is it and what is the petrological nature of the crust-mantle boundary (i.e., Mohorovičić discontinuity or Moho)? These questions may sound naive because they are widely believed to be well-understood facts, but they are not. Correctly, our current knowledge remains incomplete, and some popular misperceptions come from interpretations based on convenient assumptions. One assumption is that the ocean crust inferred from seismic data is of magmatic origin. Testing this assumption is a principal motivation of Project Mohole (1957–1966), attempting to drill intact ocean crust across the Moho into the mantle. Project Mohole failed because of its high cost, engineering challenges and insufficient tries, but the technologies developed made subsequent ocean drilling successful. However, answers to the original questions remain unsatisfactory. For example, seismic crust interpreted to be of magmatic origin is shown to have globally uniform thickness of 6.0 ± 1.0 km, but crust with such thickness at many slow-spreading ridge segments is dominated by serpentinized mantle peridotites exposed on seafloors. Therefore, the popular view on ocean ridge magmatism must be re-examined, which needs intact ocean crust drilling into the mantle. Drilling at geologically simple sites in the fast-spreading Pacific seafloor is most promising.The US-led D/V JOIDES Resolution that has well served the scientific ocean drilling since 1985 is to retire by the end of 2024, but timely the Chinese geoscience community wishes to continue this international endeavor using the purpose-built D/V Meng Xiang to be in service in 2025. The international community is to gather in November 24–27, 2024, Guangzhou, China, to discuss strategies on where and how to successfully drill intact ocean crust across the Moho in coming years

Perceiving affordances and the problem of visually indiscernible kinds.

In this study, I defend the claim that we can perceptually experience what objects afford when we engage with objects belonging to natural or artificial categorical high-level kinds. Experiencing affordances perceptually positions us to act in specific ways. The main aim of this study was to argue that this view has explanatory advantages over alternative views. An increasingly popular view within the philosophy of perception, most famously defended by Susanna Siegel, claims that we sometimes visually experience natural and artificial objects as belonging to categorical high-level kinds. When visually experiencing a lemon, one does not only experience its low-level properties such as shape and color, sometimes one also experiences the object as a lemon. A challenge arises when attempting to explain what happens when one experiences an object that is experientially indistinguishable from another object, yet these objects belong to different high-level categorical kinds. For instance, if someone perceptually experiences a lemon as a lemon, her experience can be considered as accurately representing or presenting a lemon. However, if the subject perceptually experiences a lemon-shaped soap bar, which cannot be discriminated from a real lemon by sight alone, the experience is deemed inaccurate because there is no real lemon present. The problem is that such a judgment seems counterintuitive; unlike with hallucinations and illusions, there seems to be nothing wrong with how the object appears. Therefore, it is difficult to understand how the mistake could be a perceptual mistake. I will first present arguments supporting the claim that when we visually encounter objects such as lemons, we sometimes also perceive the affordances of these objects-what they provide or offer us. I will further argue that this perspective on affordances offers a more compelling explanation than other alternative accounts when it comes to our perception of visually indistinguishable objects that nonetheless belong to categorically distinct high-level kinds.

More similarity than difference: comparison of within- and between-sex variance in early adolescent brain structure.

Adolescent neuroimaging studies of sex differences in the human brain predominantly examine mean differences between males and females. This focus on between-groups differences without probing relative distributions and similarities may contribute to both conflation and overestimation of sex differences and sexual dimorphism in the developing human brain. We aimed to characterize the variance in brain macro- and micro-structure in early adolescence as it pertains to sex at birth using a large sample of 9-11 year-olds from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N=7,723). Specifically, for global and regional estimates of gray and white matter volume, cortical thickness, and white matter microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), we examined: within- and between-sex variance, overlap between male and female distributions, inhomogeneity of variance via the Fligner-Killeen test, and an analysis of similarities (ANOSIM). For completeness, we examined these sex differences using both uncorrected (raw) brain estimates and residualized brain estimates after using mixed-effects modeling to account for age, pubertal development, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, MRI scanner manufacturer, and total brain volume, where applicable. The overlap between male and female distributions was universally greater than the difference (overlap coefficient range: 0.585 - 0.985) and the ratio of within-sex and between-sex differences was similar (ANOSIM R range: -0.001 - 0.117). All cortical and subcortical volumes showed significant inhomogeneity of variance, whereas a minority of brain regions showed significant sex differences in variance for cortical thickness, white matter volume, fractional anisotropy, and mean diffusivity. Inhomogeneity of variance was reduced after accounting for other sources of variance. Overlap coefficients were larger and ANOSIM R values were smaller for residualized outcomes, indicating greater within- and smaller between-sex differences once accounting for other covariates. Reported sex differences in early adolescent human brain structure may be driven by disparities in variance, rather than binary, sex-based phenotypes. Contrary to the popular view of the brain as sexually dimorphic, we found more similarity than difference between sexes in all global and regional measurements of brain structure examined. This study builds upon previous findings illustrating the importance of considering variance when examining sex differences in brain structure.

Psychedelic experiences in psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression

ABSTRACT Psychedelics have shown promise as a treatment for depression. Although there is some debate, a popular view is that psychedelics produce their benefits in an experience-dependent manner. This is the view that a depressed person gets better, inter alia, because of the experience she has had on psychedelics. Among the various questions that treatment for depression with psychedelics raise, one of the most important is: By what mechanism do these drugs reduce symptoms? If the experience-dependent view is correct, the answer, at least on the personal level of explanation, lies in the phenomenology. In this paper, borrowing mainly from Ratcliffe’s account of depression, I offer such an answer. I argue that psychedelic experiences involve a surge of existential feelings, which can revise the depressed person’s diminished sense of possibility and restore their ability to be affected by the world. I explain how this occurs via a change in the sense of reality linked to the subjective effects of psychedelics. This, I suggest, is the personal level mechanism or process behind psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for depression.

From Urban heritage resources: social media analytics of Johor Bahru tourists’ experience and motivation for exploring heritage buildings

ABSTRACT Assessing tourists’ social media perceptions is crucial in today's digital age. Due to its industrial reputation, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, has been overlooked for heritage tourism. This data mining study examines tourists’ experiences and motivations for visiting Johor Bahru's heritage buildings of 2,369 Google Review and Tripadvisor comments using web crawlers scripted in Python. The content analysis identified six themes associated with tourist motivation: activity, accessibility, diversity, attachment, inclusivity, and appearance. Even though their aesthetics are subdued, Johor Bahru's public historic sites thrive on accessibility and active activities, unlike magnificent royal edifices. Despite their architectural value, royal structures attracted fewer tourists due to the absence of diversity, inclusivity, and activities and restrictive measures. Maintaining the city's legacy and architectural identity requires highlighting these buildings. This study accentuates social media-driven popular views. The findings may encourage local authorities and stakeholders to strengthen Johor Bahru's identity and promote heritage tourism.

Ideology as a Commodity. Authoritarianism in a Populist Form

The subject of the article is the phenomenon of successes of alt-right parties and their leaders. The contemporary rise of radical populism and its geopolitical scope are reflected in the discourse of its new features. Such a discussion offers a wealth of concepts and notions. Most of them describe practices of “dismantling” democracy, threats of dictatorship or even fascism. The presented analysis focuses on the question of the ideological identity of cases that can be specified as consolidated populism. The thesis I advance shows that the source of the durability of electoral support is a specific narrative based on a thinking style which Zygmunt Bauman termed “retrotopia.” This popular world view functions as a legitimizing myth, which the process of limiting democracy hides in the form of culture war. I conclude that the concept of retrotopia as a popularistic ideology adds more to the distinction between today’s different varieties of populist movements and political leaders.

Linking formal institutional distance, subsidiary autonomy for innovation and subsidiary global (value-added) mandates

PurposeThis study examines the effects of formal institutional distance (ID) on the foreign subsidiary global mandates (i.e. the subsidiary value-added role in terms of research and development (R&D), product management and supplying of inputs to the multinational enterprise (MNE) globally). Furthermore, it examines the mediating role of subsidiary autonomy for innovation in the relationship between formal ID and subsidiary global mandates.Design/methodology/approachSurvey evidence from foreign subsidiaries in a remote developed economy, i.e. New Zealand, is obtained. Formal distance is measured based on the worldwide governance indicators (WGI), and the hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsResults show that the direct link between formal ID and subsidiary global mandates is negative. However, autonomy for innovation as a mediator offsets this negative relationship, showing a positive mediating effect between formal ID and subsidiary global mandates.Originality/valueThis study extends research on foreign subsidiaries and their value-added roles in the MNE. We show the differentiated role of formal ID and indicate a contingency showing how the negative influence of formal ID on subsidiary global mandates can be offset. The inconsistent mediation of autonomy for innovation suggests that the concept of ID is multifaceted and complex, in contrast to the popular view that ID has only negative implications. Drawing upon evidence from a remote, developed economy and secondary data sources, we suggest how MNEs may positively use their formal ID with their subsidiaries.

Expensive Tastes and Living in High-Risk or Hazardous Areas: Claims to Compensation

In this paper, I defend a position contrary to a popular view of distributive justice. Residents of flood-prone or otherwise hazardous areas, like the Gulf South of the United States, receive substantial amounts of aid, paid through taxes on people living elsewhere in the US, after natural disasters that frequent the region. In popular discourse, some argue that we have reason not to (re)build in high-risk or hazardous areas, like the Gulf South. Instead, these residents, and others in similarly situated regions, should “relocate.” If residents choose to stay, then the government and taxpayers do not owe them financial compensation to rebuild. Against that view, I argue that egalitarians commit to compensating many such people. However, I propose broadening our understanding of ‘compensation’ and going forward, focus on agency-enhancing efforts as compensation instead of solely relying on standard post-disaster financial compensation, as current policies generally do. Later in the paper, I offer a metric and tiered system that proposes alternatives to the standard compensation and claim that agency-enhancing compensation aligns with the egalitarian’s commitment to compensate individuals following a natural disaster. I conclude that a tiered system and a broader compensation approach provides egalitarians with more options than the current standard compensation allows.

When Should Popular Views be Included in a Reflective Equilibrium?

AbstractIt has become increasingly common to conduct research on popular views on ethical questions. In this paper, we discuss when and to what extent popular views should be included in a reflective equilibrium process, thereby influencing normative theory. We argue that popular views are suitable for inclusion in a reflective equilibrium if they approximate considered judgments and examine some factors that plausibly contribute to the consideredness of popular views. We conclude that deliberation and familiarity contribute to the consideredness of popular views, whereas prevalence does not. Furthermore, we raise the “fair trial” objection: that expert deliberation on popular views might fail to respect the consideredness of these views. Eliciting views approximating considered judgments directly from participants is therefore preferable to refining popular views or treating them as “bare” intuitions in the reflective process. These conclusions have important implications for which research methods will likely elicit popular views suitable for a reflective equilibrium process. Research focusing on the prevalence of views is unlikely to yield popular views suitable for a reflective equilibrium, whereas deliberative and in-depth work is more promising.

Shooting and Fishing Prohibitions in the Water Bodies of Ajmer–Pushkar During Colonial Period: The Case of Marginalised Communities

Popular perception views the colonial regime as totally unconcerned about the notions of propriety and sentiments associated with the native population. Such a view does not bar us from studying colonial governance and the public works that it undertook under normal governance. The case study of fishing prohibitions imposed on the lakes of Ajmer–Pushkar highlights not only the regard that the colonial government had towards the religious sentiments of the masses but also the influence of modern Western ideas of environment conservation. Parallel to this runs the narrative of communal tension that erupts due to the prioritisation of religious sentiments of the majority community by the British State. The poor, whose sustenance is dependent on fishing, find ways to breach the colonial prohibitions, thereby challenging the regime’s authority. Similarly, the representatives of the vegetarian merchant class use their influence to compel the British administrators to take the steps they favoured. No consensus or conclusion is reached due to the complex nature of the whole affair, but the reading of the correspondence that emergence to and from the Chief Commissioner’s Office of Ajmer–Merwara on the subject may give us an insight into the various factors that influenced the functioning of the colonial administration and the diverse kinds of reaction that these elicited from the native population.

Informal settlements and the continuity of Gujarati building traditions in Ahmedabad

Informal settlement is a widespread form of development in rapidly urbanising countries, yet the architectural form of dwellings and the design intention of the residents has received scant attention across the extensive literature on informality. Architectural scholars have drawn parallels between informal and vernacular environments, but the empirical evidence to support this assertion is limited. Comparing accurate and detailed architectural drawings, this article demonstrates how Gujarati building traditions influence the arrangement of dwellings and their plans in two informal settlements in Ahmedabad. Despite insecurity of land tenure and limited services, dwellings are built incrementally but planned with architectural intent informed by traditional rural housing types. The function and arrangement of traditional room types are consistent across dwellings in different contexts, from world heritage-listed havelis, rural Gujarati villages, to the incremental housing in two informal settlements in Ahmedabad. This evidence is at odds with popular and political views that informal settlements are unplanned accretions of ad hoc shelters. Such views, embedded in policy, can be part of the rationale for ‘slum’ clearance and relocation, which frequently disrupts social and economic networks. The findings and methods used in this study can inform architects or planners seeking to upgrade, redevelop, or relocate informal settlement communities.

Christian Spiritual Formation towards Holiness

Freedom is one of the most fervently fought for values and, at the same time, the very idea of freedom belongs to concepts that are essentially contested. This situation is a part of human brokenness, and in Christian formation, it has to be seriously dealt with. According to the popular view, ‘holiness’ is a life-negating and judgmental attitude towards everything ‘normal.’ In biblical usage, it connotes belonging to God as a gift in Christ. Spiritual formation begins with a biblical explanation of freedom and holiness. A Christian worldview has to be the background to Christian formation, functioning as a correction of the commonly- accepted naturalistic worldview. A personal experiential relationship with God is the key to successful growth towards realistic and practical holiness in daily life. ‘Dos and don’ts’ that usually arise at the beginning of religious education shall be experienced as liberating instructions, if they are offered as guidance to a fully persuaded mind and a devotedly loving heart.

Lucky Idiots and Incompetent Villains: Luck and Responsibility in Meaningful Lives

What is the relationship between meaning in life and luck? One popular view within the literature is that resultant luck vitiates meaning; that if the relevant state-of-affairs is primarily the result of luck, chance, or happenstance, rather than the person’s actions, then no meaning is conferred. Call this the anti-luck constraint. In this article it is argued that we should reject the anti-luck constraint. Two types of cases, often cited as examples in favour of the anti-luck constraint, are examined: the lucky idiot and the incompetent villain. Such lives, it is contended, can be meaningful even when the relevant states-of-affairs are primarily the product of resultant luck.

I'm not, like, the best dragon, ya know?: A Deconstructionist Reading of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon

Background: Raya and the Last Dragon is the first Disney movie inspired by traditional Southeast Asian cultures, somewhat under-represented in mainstream media. Hence, the movie is worth further investigation. Purpose: The study intends to read Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon using a deconstructionist lens. Methods: The study used qualitative analysis of audio-visual materials. The auditory and visual aspects of the movie are examined using a deconstructionist lens by watching and rewatching the movie with occasional note-taking. Data are presented in the forms of characters’ dialogues, and screen captures of relevant scenes. Results: It found that, to a certain extent, the movie deconstructs dominant narratives. The most prosperous tribe, Heart’s chief, chooses to promote trust and cooperation over violence. Then, against popular views associating toddlers with innocence, this movie presents a toddler as a con baby. It also seems to advocate the power of youngsters to make a difference in society. Though it seems to have feminist details through its two androgynous female warriors, Raya and Namaari, the same characters lead Kumandra to its downfall and eventual rise. It suggested that female warriors can achieve great things but also bring catastrophes. The movie, furthermore, portrays Sisu as an insecure yet trusting dragon, quite different from the typical portrayals of dragons often associated with power and destruction. However, the movie marginalizes the antagonists, the Druun, by not giving them the language to defend themselves from the judgmental assumptions of the talking characters. Implications: The movie carries hidden messages and could be used to challenge dominant narratives. It, however, could also be used to marginalize certain groups.