Self-Regulation and Human Progress

Author(s):  
Evan Osborne

Does humanity progress primarily through leaders organizing and directing followers, or through trial and error by individuals free to chart their own path? For most of human history ruling classes had the capacity and the desire to tightly regiment society, to the general detriment of progress. But beginning in the 1500s, Europeans developed a series of arguments for simply leaving well enough alone. First in the form of the scientific method, then in the form of free expression, and finally in the form of the continuously, spontaneously reordered free market, people began to accept that progress is hard, and requires that an immense number of mistakes be tolerated so that we may learn from them. This book tells the story of the development of these three ideas, and for the first time tells of the mutual influence among them. It outlines the rise, and dramatic triumph, of each of these self-regulating systems, followed by a surprising rise in skepticism, especially in the economic context. Such skepticism in the 20th century was frequently costly and sometimes catastrophic. Under the right conditions, which are more frequent than generally believed, self-regulating systems in which participants organize themselves are superior. We should accept their turbulence in exchange for the immense progress they generate.

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitris Xenos

In the liberal tradition, there has always been scepticism about the state's involvement in the activities of industry. Instead, internal measures by way of self-regulation and collective action have been preferred. In recognition of the reality that exclusive reliance on such solutions has not prevented violations of human rights, to which a high constitutional importance is attached, other arrangements have to be provided. In the system of the European Convention of Human Rights (hereinafter the Convention), positive obligations are imposed engaging the state in the active protection of human rights. The need to protect human rights against the hazards of industry has been the main issue in the case of Öneryildiz v. Turkey, in which, for the first time in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter the Court), a claim under the right to life (Article 2 of the Convention) has successfully been asserted in the context of industry.


Author(s):  
Anna Stafecka

Both Baltic languages, which are still alive, have preserved their historical territorial dialects. The article gives a brief insight into the research of Latvian and Lithuanian dialects, which are the continuation of ancient languages of Baltic tribes, perhaps with many changes and mutual influence. Only the Livonian dialect of Northern Kurzeme has to be mentioned as an exception because of the Livonian language and the Couronian tribe language as the basis of it. Subdialects, as the smallest territorial units of language in Latvia and Lithuania (points) had formed themselves during feudalism, when peasants did not have the right to change their place of residence. The first recordings of the peculiarities of Latvian and Lithuanian dialects have been known since the 17th-century dictionaries and grammars. The systematic classification of both Latvian and Lithuanian dialects began in the second half of the 19th century. In Latvia, the first who described all three Latvian dialects in his Lettische Grammatik was Gotthard Friedrich Stender. In Lithuania, both Lithuanian dialects were distinguished by August Schleicher. The first research in Latvian and Lithuanian dialectology and geolinguistics dates back to the second half of the 19th century. The first map of Lithuanian dialects was published by Friedrich Kurschat in 1876. The first geolinguistic maps of the Latvian language were developed by August Bielenstein. They were published in 1881 and 1892. The early programmes of collecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Lithuanian and Latvian folklore and language were published at the end of the 19th century. They are very different. The boundaries of the territorial dialects of Latvian, unlike the Lithuanian, are not determined by one or two dialectal features, but by a set of isoglosses, reflecting phonetic and morphological features. In Lithuanian dialectology, the system of settlements (points) was chosen – language material was collected within approx. 10–12 km radius around them. In the 1950s, geolinguistic research in Lithuania and Latvia are connected with the creation of national dialectal atlases. In 1977, for the first time in the history of Baltic geolinguistics, the material of Lithuanian and Latvian dialects was collected according to a united program for the Atlas linguarum Europae. In it, Latvian was represented with 36 subdialects and Lithuanian with 42 subdialects. At the beginning of the 21st century, Latvian and Lithuanian linguists have launched a joint project, the Atlas of the Baltic Languages. We can draw the conclusion that the research of dialects in Latvia and Lithuania for more than a century have been parallel but different, dialectal material was collected according to different programmes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alban Revy ◽  
François Hallouard ◽  
Sandrine Joyeux-Klamber ◽  
Andrea Skanjeti ◽  
Catherine Rioufol ◽  
...  

Objective: Recent gallium-68 labeled peptides are of increasing interest in PET imaging in nuclear medicine. Somakit TOC® is a radiopharmaceutical kit registered in the European Union for the preparation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TOC used for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. Development of a labeling process using a synthesizer is particularly interesting for the quality and reproducibility of the final product although only manual processes are described in the Summary of Product (SmPC) of the registered product. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the feasibility and value of using an automated synthesizer for the preparation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TOC according to the SmPC of the Somakit TOC®. Methods: Three methods of preparation were compared; each followed the SmPC of the Somakit TOC®. Over time, overheads, and overexposure were evaluated for each method. Results: Mean±SD preparation time was 26.2±0.3 minutes for the manual method, 28±0.5 minutes for the semi-automated, and 40.3±0.2 minutes for the automated method. Overcost of the semi-automated method is 0.25€ per preparation for consumables and from 0.58€ to 0.92€ for personnel costs according to the operator (respectively, technician or pharmacist). For the automated method, overcost is 70€ for consumables and from 4.06€ to 6.44€ for personnel. For the manual method, extremity exposure was 0.425mSv for the right finger, and 0.350mSv for the left finger; for both the semi-automated and automated method extremity exposure were below the limit of quantification. Conclusion: The present study reports for the first time both the feasibility of using a [68Ga]- radiopharmaceutical kit with a synthesizer and the limits for the development of a fully automated process.


Author(s):  
Angela M. Kurth ◽  
Darcia Narvaez

Like every animal, human offspring evolved to fit into their communities, but social fittedness for mammals requires a supportive early nest that fosters socio-emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and sympathy. Within a supportive environment, children naturally develop orientations that facilitate prosocial behaviours within the community. We use the evolved developmental niche (EDN), apparent in 95% of human history as small-band hunter-gatherers, for a baseline representative of human evolution. In these societies, children grow into cooperative, agile moral actors. We compare the EDN with five modern approaches to young child group care and make suggestions to early caregivers on how to provide, in the modern world, what children evolved to need.


Author(s):  
Andrew McNeillie
Keyword(s):  

It is now widely acknowledged, and far beyond Ireland, that Tim Robinson’s two volumes jointly known as Stones of Aran (‘Pilgrimage’ and ‘Labyrinth’) are modern classics, exemplary in every way of how to write about place and to do so with a formal, literary accomplishment that more than earns the right to nod at Ruskin’s own classic. In 2012, Robinson went back to Árainn, the largest of the three islands, for the first time in nearly ten years. He did so at the urging of Andrew McNeillie, with whom he spent two and a half days revisiting old haunts. This chapter makes account of the occasion and uses, in the process, a unique document provided by Robinson as an experiment in annotating his work. This prompts McNeillie to investigate some of his own annotations and footnotes to Aran.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Wellmann

AbstractThroughout human history, most further developments or new achievements were accompanied by new materials or new processes that enabled the technologic progress. With concrete devices and applications in mind, synthesis and subsequent treatment of materials naturally went along with the progress. The aim of the underlying article is to spot the role of optimization, of discovery, of trial-and-error approaches, of fundamentals and curiosity driven design and development. In a consecutive examination, five missions addressing the challenges facing our world (identified by the European Council) will be cross linked with seven topical areas from materials science defined by the European Materials Research Society. The scope of this examination is to identify approaches and methods to further develop and innovate materials which form the basis of the anticipated solutions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Basiri ◽  
Iman Ghanaat ◽  
Hamidreza Akbari Gilani

Abstract Background Although involvement of the urinary system is not uncommon, endometriosis in the kidneys is rare. To date, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy has been the preferred approach for managing renal endometriosis. Here, we report for the first time the results of laparoscopic removal of a renal capsular endometriosis in a malrotated kidney in an attempt to save the whole kidney parenchyma, in terms of feasibility and safety. Case presentation A 37-year-old female presented with periodic right flank pain associated with her menstrual cycle. On imaging, a malrotated right kidney and a hypodense irregular-shaped lesion measuring 30 * 20 * 15 mm were seen in the superior portion of the right perinephric space. Histologic evaluation of the ultrasound-guided biopsy was consistent with renal capsular endometriosis. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the capsular mass while preserving the normal renal parenchyma. Pathological examination of the biopsy obtained during surgery was in favor of renal endometriosis. At 6-month follow-up, the patient’s pain had completely disappeared and no complications had occurred. In addition, imaging did not show any remarkable recurrence. Conclusion Renal endometriosis should be strongly considered as a differential diagnosis in female patients with a renal capsular mass and exacerbation of flank pain during menstruation. Based on our experience, with preoperative needle biopsy and clearing the pathology, laparoscopic removal of the mass in spite of renal anatomic abnormality is feasible and safe and thus could be considered as a possible treatment option.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-169
Author(s):  
Teresa M. Bejan

AbstractThe classical liberal doctrine of free expression asserts the priority of speech as an extension of the freedom of thought. Yet its critics argue that freedom of expression, itself, demands the suppression of the so-called “silencing speech” of racists, sexists, and so on, as a threat to the equal expressive rights of others. This essay argues that the claim to free expression must be distinguished from claims to equal speech. The former asserts an equal right to express one’s thoughts without interference; the latter the right to address others, and to receive a hearing and consideration from them, in turn. I explore the theory of equal speech in light of the ancient Athenian practice of isegoria and argue that the equality demanded is not distributive but relational: an equal speaker’s voice should be counted as “on a par” with others. This ideal better captures critics’ concerns about silencing speech than do their appeals to free expression. Insofar as epistemic and status-harms provide grounds for the suppression and exclusion of some speech and speakers, the ideal of equal speech is more closely connected with the freedom of association than of thought. Noticing this draws attention to the continuing—and potentially problematic—importance of exclusion in constituting effective sites of equal speech today.


Author(s):  
Stephen Bendall ◽  
Paul Halliwell ◽  
Andrew Goldberg ◽  
Andrew Robinson
Keyword(s):  

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