scholarly journals The Refutation of Singularism?

2021 ◽  
pp. 30-52
Author(s):  
Salvatore Florio ◽  
Øystein Linnebo

Traditional analyses of plurals tended to eliminate plural expressions in favor of singular ones. These “singularist” analyses have recently faced many objections, which are intended to provide indirect support for the alternative analysis provided by plural logic. This chapter evaluates four such objections and concludes that they are less compelling than is often assumed. This conclusion is borne out by a close examination of various plural versions of Cantor’s theorem.

Author(s):  
Alexander R. Pruss ◽  
Joshua L. Rasmussen

A classic argument from contingency is presented in the language of contemporary plural logic. Included are several independent supports for the principle of explanation that drives the argument. The argument is tested with the instrument of objections. Thus, historical objections from Hume and Kant are examined, and then a series of more recent objections to arguments from contingency is considered. Objections include various reasons to doubt, or hesitate to accept, the principle of explanation. Whether the argument could be sound even if there were an infinite regress of causes is carefully considered. The chapter closes by citing both strengths and weaknesses of the argument.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0193841X2097652
Author(s):  
Christina F. Mondi ◽  
Arthur J. Reynolds ◽  
Brandt A. Richardson

In a previous study of the Child-Parent Centers (CPC) education program, preschool participation was linked to a 4.6 percentage point reduction (26%) in depressive symptoms at ages 22–24 over the matched comparison group enrolling the usual programs. The present study reanalyzed these data in the Chicago Longitudinal Study to address potential attrition bias since more than a quarter of the sample was missing on the outcome. Using inverse probability weighting (IPW) involving 32 predictors of sample retention, findings for the 1,142 participants growing up in high-poverty neighborhoods indicated that CPC participation was associated with a 7.1 percentage point reduction (95% CI = [−9.7, −5.4]) in one or more depressive symptoms (39% reduction over the comparison group). Although this marginal effect was within the confidence interval of the original study (95% CI = [−9.5, 0.3]), the 54% increase in the point estimate is substantial and of practical significance, suggesting underestimation in the prior study. Alternative analysis of different predictors and IPW models, including adjustments for program selection and attrition together, yielded similar results. Findings indicate that high-quality early childhood programs continue to be an important strategy for the prevention of depression and its debilitating effects on individuals and families.


2021 ◽  
pp. 030981682110290
Author(s):  
Rune Møller Stahl

This article describes the ascension of neoliberal economic ideas in the macroeconomic establishment in Denmark. Based on a systematic analysis of documents from the Danish government and the Economic Council from the 1970s to the early 2000s, the article traces the development of the economic ideas and policy instrument that dominate the analytical process of the Danish macroeconomic establishment. The article applies a Gramscian-inspired framework to track the gradual and uneven process under which neoliberal economic ideas became common sense in the Danish context. This framework challenges some of the assumptions of the ideational focus of much constructivist literature, and offers an alternative analysis focused on the legitimating role of economic ideas. As much of the ideational change took place after policy adaptions to international economic developments, the Danish case provides little support for the theory of the causal power of ideas. Rather, it seems as though economic models and ideas are imported as ‘after the fact’ legitimations of changes in policy.


Author(s):  
Sarah Jbara ◽  
Marta Herranz ◽  
Pedro J. Sola‐Campoy ◽  
Cristina Rodríguez‐Grande ◽  
Álvaro Chiner‐Oms ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (4) ◽  
pp. 2842-2850
Author(s):  
Paul Burge ◽  
Jim Cowan

The San Francisco Bay Area has an existing commuter rail system that brings commuters from southern regional communities into the downtown city center. One of the communities served by commuter rail service is the City of Palo Alto, CA, which includes four active grade crossings, each requiring train horn sounding for each train event. The City wished to evaluate various options to eliminate the noise generated from horn soundings by creating road/rail grade separations at each existing grade crossing and other possible noise and vibration control elements. The alternatives included crossing closures, rail bed trenching, viaducts, roadway underpasses, and tunnels. A noise and vibration study was undertaken to provide an analysis of which alternatives would provide better reductions in noise and vibration in the surrounding community. The study included an assessment of existing noise levels and predicted future noise and vibration levels for construction and operation of each proposed alternative using current established noise and vibration methodology. The results of this study included comparisons of the noise and vibration associated with each of the of the proposed alternatives that could be used in conjunction with other studies considering cost, traffic, safety, aesthetics and other factors to select an overall preferred alternative.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document