Welfare and Outcome

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-115
Author(s):  
Robert Shaver
Keyword(s):  
Main Concern ◽  
Difference Principle ◽  
Intuitive Appeal ◽  
Lockean Proviso ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mere Addition ◽  
Mere Addition Paradox ◽  
Better Than

In Inequality, Larry Temkin attacks ‘The Slogan’: ‘One Situation cannot be [morally] worse (or better) than another in any respect if there is no one for whom it is worse (or better) in any respect.’ Temkin notes that the Slogan has great intuitive appeal. It underlies, for example, the conviction that it is irrational to prefer a Pareto-inferior outcome; the transition from egalitarianism to the difference principle; Robert Nozick's Wilt Chamberlain example; defense of appropriation under the Lockean proviso; and Derek Parfit's Mere Addition Paradox. As an egalitarian, Temkin's main concern with the Slogan is the support it gives to the ‘leveling down objection’ to egalitarianism: the egalitarian finds it to be in some respect an improvement that the better-off are leveled down to the position of the worse-off, without any gain to the worse-off. The Slogan condemns this: leveling down cannot be better in any respect, since there is no one for whom it is better in any respect.

Mere addition and the best of all possible worlds

1999 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN GROVER
Keyword(s):  
Possible Worlds ◽  
Worth Living ◽  
Possible World ◽  
Repugnant Conclusion ◽  
Best Possible World ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Mere Addition ◽  
Mere Addition Paradox ◽  
Better Than

The quantitative argument against the notion of a best possible world claims that, no matter how many worthwhile lives a world contains, another world contains more and is, other things being equal, better. Parfit's ‘Mere Addition Paradox’ suggests that defenders of this argument must accept his ‘Repugnant Conclusion’: that outcomes containing billions upon billions of lives barely worth living are better than outcomes containing fewer lives of higher quality. Several responses to the Paradox are discussed and rejected as either inadequate or unavailable in a theistic context. The quantitative argument fails if some world is such that addition to it is not possible, i.e., if it is intensively infinite, as Liebniz claimed. If the notion of such a world is incoherent, then no world is quantitatively best and the quantitative argument succeeds, but only at the cost of embracing the Repugnant Conclusion.

A Challenge to Neo-Lockeanism

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 697-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Roemer
Keyword(s):  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Insurance Policy ◽  
Difference Principle ◽  
Ronald Dworkin ◽  
Training And Education ◽  
Veil Of Ignorance ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
Lockean Proviso ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Distribution Of Income

The neo-Lockean justification of the highly unequal distribution of income in capitalist societies is based upon two key premises: that people are the rightful owners of their labor and talents, and that the external world was, in the state of nature, unowned, and therefore up for grabs by people, who could rightfully appropriate parts of it subject to a ‘Lockean proviso.’ The argument is presented by Nozick. Counter-proposals to Nozick’s, for the most part, have either denied the premise that people should morally be viewed as the owners of their talents, or have challenged Nozick’s Lockean proviso.Rawls, and to a more limited extent Ronald Dworkin, deny self-ownership. As Rawls writes: ‘…the difference principle represents, in effect, an agreement to regard the distribution of natural talents as a common asset … The naturally advantaged are not to gain merely because they are more gifted, but only to cover the costs of training and education and for using their endowments in ways that help the less fortunate as well. No one deserves his greater natural capacity nor merits a more favorable starting place in society.’ Behind the Rawlsian veil of ignorance, those who deliberate about justice are deprived of knowledge about characteristics whose distribution is morally arbitrary. In Dworkin’s proposal for resource egalitarianism, agents calculate the insurance policy they would hypothetically ask for, were they denied knowledge of what talents they will draw in the birth lottery. Compensation for unequal talents is, according to Dworkin, properly made by taxing and transferring income according to the way it would have been distributed as a consequence of such insurance. Dworkin’s veil of ignorance is thin, because agents in the appropriate posture for deliberating about income distribution know their preferences and attitudes toward risk, but not their talents. For both Rawls and Dworkin, the self-ownership premise is challenged by constructing a veil of ignorance in which people are deprived of knowledge of certain personal characteristics, knowledge of which would bias their opinions, from a moral viewpoint.

Removal of inelastically scattered electrons substantially increases phase contrast on frozen-hydrated molecules

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 652-653
Author(s):  
John P. Langmore ◽  
Brian D. Athey
Keyword(s):  
Electron Diffraction ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Dark Field ◽  
Biological Structure ◽  
Bright Field ◽  
Low Contrast ◽  
Negative Stain ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

Although electron diffraction indicates better than 0.3nm preservation of biological structure in vitreous ice, the imaging of molecules in ice is limited by low contrast. Thus, low-dose images of frozen-hydrated molecules have significantly more noise than images of air-dried or negatively-stained molecules. We have addressed the question of the origins of this loss of contrast. One unavoidable effect is the reduction in scattering contrast between a molecule and the background. In effect, the difference in scattering power between a molecule and its background is 2-5 times less in a layer of ice than in vacuum or negative stain. A second, previously unrecognized, effect is the large, incoherent background of inelastic scattering from the ice. This background reduces both scattering and phase contrast by an additional factor of about 3, as shown in this paper. We have used energy filtration on the Zeiss EM902 in order to eliminate this second effect, and also increase scattering contrast in bright-field and dark-field.

PENERAPAN MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF TIPE STAD DENGAN PENDEKATAN RME UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR MATEMATIKA SISWA KELAS IX SMP MUHAMMADIYAH PADANG LUAS KECAMATAN TAMBANG KABUPATEN KAMPAR

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 744
Author(s):  
Zainur Zainur
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Mathematics Learning ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Research Instrument ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

This research was motivated by the low learning outcomes of grade IX SMP Muhammadiyah Padang LuasKecamatan Tambang Kabupaten Kampar. This study aims to improve learning outcomes in mathematicslearning through STAD type cooperative learning with the RME approach in class IX SMP MuhammadiyahPadang Luas Kecamatan Tambang Kabupaten Kampar. The subjects of this study were all classes IX in SMPMuhammadiyah Padang Luas Kecamatan Tambang Kabupaten Kampar totaling 26 people. The form ofresearch is classroom action research. This research instrument consists of performance instruments and datacollection instruments in the form of teacher activity observation sheets and activities. The results of the studystated that there were significant differences between students' mathematics learning outcomes before applyingthe STAD type cooperative learning model with the RME approach with after applying the STAD typecooperative learning model with the RME approach. The difference shows student learning outcomes after theaction is better than before the action with completeness reaching 80.77% or 21 completed. Based on the resultsof the study and discussion it can be concluded that the application of STAD type learning model with RealisticMathematic Education (RME) approach can improve the learning outcomes of grade IX students of SMPMuhammadiyah Padang Luas Kecamatan Tambang Kabupaten Kampar on statistical material.

scholarly journals Six ultraviolet minutes for cleaner operating theatres

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Bosco ◽  
S Gambelli ◽  
V Urbano ◽  
G Cevenini ◽  
G Messina
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Operating Theatres ◽  
Cleaning Procedures ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Final Cleaning

Abstract Background Sanitizing the operating theatres (OT) is important to minimize risk of post-operative infections. Disinfection procedures between one operation and another is less aggressive than final cleaning procedures, at the end of the day. Aim was assessing the difference of contamination: i) between different levels of disinfection; ii) before and after the use of a UVC Device (UVC-D). Methods Between December 2019/February 2020 a cross sectional study was conducted in OT in a real clinical context. 94 Petri dishes (PD) were used in 3 OT. Three different sanitation levels (SL1-3) were compared pre- and post-use of UVC-D: i) No cleaning after surgery (SL1); ii) after in-between cleaning (SL2); iii) after terminal cleaning (SL3). UVC-D was employed for 6 minutes, 3 minutes per bed side. PD were incubated at 36 °C and colony forming unit (CFU) counted at 48h. Descriptive statistic, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were performed to assess the contamination levels in total, pre/post use of UVC-D, and between different sanitation levels, respectively. Results In total we had a mean of 3.39 CFU/PD (C.I. 2.05 - 4.74) and a median of 1 CFU/PD (Min. 0 - Max. 39), after UVC-D use we had a mean of 2.20 CFU/PD (C.I. 0.69 - 5.09) and a median of 0 CFU/PD (Min. 0 - Max. 133). The UVC-D led to a significant reduction of CFU (p < 0.001). Without UVC-D we had a significant CFU drop (p < 0.05) between SL1 and SL3. Using UVC-D, we observed significant reductions of contamination (p < 0.05) between SL3 and SL1. Comparing SL1 (median 0) post UVC-D use vs SL2 pre UVC-D use (median 0.5), and SL2 post UVC-D use (median 0) vs SL3 pre UVC-D use (median 1) we had a significant reduction of contamination (p < 0.05). Conclusions UVC-D improved environmental contamination in any of the three sanitation levels. Furthermore, the use of UVC-D alone was better than in-between and terminal cleaning. Although these encouraging results, the cleaning procedures executed by dedicated staff has to be considered. Key messages UVC are efficient to decrease contamination in operating theatres regardless of sanitation levels. The additional use of UVC technology to standard cleaning procedures significantly improves sanitation levels.

Influence of Collagen Status on Microstructures of Porous Collagen/TCP Composites

2007 ◽  
Vol 330-332 ◽  
pp. 495-498
Author(s):  
Chao Zou ◽  
Wen Jian Weng ◽  
Xu Liang Deng ◽  
Kui Cheng ◽  
Pi Yi Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Cell Growth ◽  
Tricalcium Phosphate ◽  
Freeze Drying ◽  
Alkali Treatment ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Collagen Matrices ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Porous Composites ◽  
Better Than

Two starting collagens, sponge and floc collagen, were used to prepare collagen/tricalcium phosphate (TCP) composites. The resulting composites were porous and had 200μm pore size. However, there was a difference in the microstructure of the pore walls for the composites derived from the two collagens, the pore walls in sponge collagen/TCP composite were still porous and had 200 nm micropores size, TCP particles were trapped in collagen matrices. While floc collagen/TCP composite had smooth and dense walls in which TCP particles were embedded. The difference could be attributed to the starting collagen with different status. Sponge collagen has a soft structure, which easily becomes disassembled fibrils during alkali treatment, the disassembled fibrils are integrated again to form a dense morphology for pore walls after freeze-drying. While floc collagen has already a low disassembly degree, the alkali treatment could not be able to separate the fibrils, this remains as micropores in pore walls after freeze-drying. Both porous composites are significant in bone tissue engineering or regeneration. MTT test results showed the two composites had good cytocompatibility, and sponge collagen/TCP composite was somewhat better than floc collagen/TCP composite, which could result from that micropores derived roughness in pore walls of sponge collagen/TCP composite is suitable for cell growth.

Assessment of different selective agar media for enumeration and isolation ofListeriafrom dairy products

1988 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas Dominguez ◽  
José Francisco Fernández ◽  
Victor Briones ◽  
José Luis Blanco ◽  
Guillermo Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Products ◽  
Agar Medium ◽  
Raw Milk ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Direct Plating ◽  
Selective Agar ◽  
Natural Microflora ◽  
Agar Media ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Better Than

SummaryDifferent selective agar media were compared for the recovery and isolation of five species ofListeriafrom raw milk and cheese. The selective media examined were Beerens medium, MacBride medium and that described by Dominguezet al.(1984) with 6 mg/1 acriflavine, listeria selective agar medium (LSAM), and LSAM with 12 mg/1 acriflavine (LSAM × 2A); a non-selective yeast glucose Lemco agar was included for comparison. When the difference between listeria and the natural microflora of raw milk and cheese was 102cfu/ml, listeria could be isolated by direct plating on all media tested. When it was lower than 103–104cfu/ml, listeria were isolated by direct plating only on LSAM and LSAM × 2A. When the difference was greater than 104cfu/ml, a previous enrichment was necessary to isolate them. LSAM and LSAM × 2A media performed better than the other media tested for isolating listeria by direct plating and improved their isolation from dairy products. This superior performance was evaluated by the ability of these media to support colony formation of different species ofListeriatested, the easy recognition of these colonies from those formed by other microorganisms and by their capacity to inhibit the natural microflora of these foods.

The Difference Principle, Capitalism, and Property-Owning Democracy

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-172
Author(s):  
Andrew Lister
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Main Idea ◽  
Political Influence ◽  
Income Growth ◽  
Difference Principle ◽  
State Capitalism ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Difference

Abstract Jason Brennan and John Tomasi have argued that if we focus on income alone, the Difference Principle supports welfare-state capitalism over property-owning democracy, because capitalism maximizes long run income growth for the worst off. If so, the defense of property-owning democracy rests on the priority of equal opportunity for political influence and social advancement over raising the income of the worst off, or on integrating workplace control into the Difference Principle’s index of advantage. The thesis of this paper is that even based on income alone, the Difference Principle is not as hostile to property-owning democracy as it may seem, because the Difference Principle should not be interpreted to require maximizing long run income growth. The main idea is that it is unfair to make the present worst off accept inequality that doesn’t benefit them, for the sake of benefitting the future worst off, if the future worst off will be better off than they are anyway.

The Place of the Market in a Rawlsian Economy

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jahel Queralt
Keyword(s):  
Economic System ◽  
Difference Principle ◽  
Instrumental Value ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Just Society

AbstractRawls identifies only two arrangements, the liberal socialist regime and the property-owning democracy, as being compatible with justice. Both are market-based economies, suggesting that a just society must include the market. This article questions this idea by looking at three Rawlsian arguments in favour of the market. Two arguments, which link the market to certain basic liberties, are unsound because the market is shown to be nonessential in protecting these liberties. A third argument points at the instrumental value of the market to make the least advantaged as well off as possible. R. is based on an interpretation of the difference principle in which justice requires maximizing the position of the worst off within the most productive economic system. Although commonly accepted, this reading of the principle should be questioned, and thus the third argument is also inconclusive.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document