Pan Arabism 2.0? The Struggle for a New Paradigm in the Middle East

The Abraham Accords, signed in September 2020 have helped shed a light on a new discourse emerging from the Gulf that seeks to challenge some of the old dogmas that have dominated the region in the last few decades. A decade of turmoil that followed what was once dubbed as the “Arab Spring” finds a divided region, full of ethnic and religious conflict, ungoverned territories, and the growing reality of failed states. An “axis of resistance”, led by radical elements from both the Shi’a and the Sunni world, is perceived as a growing challenge to a group of actors led by a number of Gulf countries who identify radicalization as an existential threat. Facing the “axis of resistance”, a new “axis of renaissance” is coming of age with an alternative vision that seeks to change the face of the Middle East. In parallel to the rapid decline of the traditional Arab capitals, the Gulf is emerging as a more significant voice in the region due to its economic, political, and media influence. This article seeks to capture and explain the rise of this new Gulf-led axis and the early formulation of a new agenda of a more tolerant Middle East through a radical reshuffling of the order of priorities in the region.

Some Interesting Observations on the Free Energy Principle

Biehl et al. (2021) present some interesting observations on an early formulation of the free energy principle. We use these observations to scaffold a discussion of the technical arguments that underwrite the free energy principle. This discussion focuses on solenoidal coupling between various (subsets of) states in sparsely coupled systems that possess a Markov blanket—and the distinction between exact and approximate Bayesian inference, implied by the ensuing Bayesian mechanics.

Iconicity in mathematical notation: Commutativity and symmetry

Mathematical notation includes a vast array of signs. Most mathematical signs appear to be symbolic, in the sense that their meaning is arbitrarily related to their visual appearance. We explored the hypothesis that mathematical signs with iconic aspects – those which visually resemble in some way the concepts they represent – offer a cognitive advantage over those which are purely symbolic. An early formulation of this hypothesis was made by Christine Ladd in 1883 who suggested that symmetrical signs should be used to convey commutative relations, because they visually resemble the mathematical concept they represent. Two controlled experiments provide the first empirical test of, and evidence for, Ladd’s hypothesis. In Experiment 1 we find that participants are more likely to attribute commutativity to operations denoted by symmetric signs. In Experiment 2 we further show that using symmetric signs as notation for commutative operations can increase mathematical performance.

Internet Financial Regulation and Law Analysis of China

In recent years, internet finance has developed rapidly in China; however, the inherent characteristics of the internet have magnified the high-risk nature of the financial industry. Consequently, this leads to the complication of risk types, the acceleration of risk propagation, and the increase of interconnection of risk system, and these issues pose a serious challenge to regulation. Including the improvement of internet finance laws and regulations, the establishment of a multi-level internet financial supervision system, and the increase of the internet financial security system, the most effective risk prevention measures can be supplemented by administrative means carried out to resolve the stock risk through the nationwide internet financial rectification. At present, the traditional financial business mode is mainly under the control of the current financial law. This kind of law is rarely related to internet finance. Even if it is involved slightly, it is due to the early formulation time and needs to be revised.

Orders of Life

This chapter explores the invention and the early history of the system of āśrama (orders of life). Using the newly discovered semantic history of gṛhastha (householder), this study shows that the āśrama system originates from the organization of pāṣaṇḍa religious organization noted by Aśoka, and organizational structure that contained two kinds of members: those who have gone forth as itinerant ascetics (pravrajita) and those who opted to stay at home (gṛhastha). The early formulation of the āśrama system viewed the four orders of Vedic student, married householder, forest hermit, and wandering mendicant as adult vocations chosen by the young adult who has completed his Vedic education. In Manu, we transition to the system where the four are considered four stages of life suitable for young men, adults, and old people.

Debating Foreign Policy in the Renaissance

This book includes a collection of debates on foreign policy from the works of Guicciardini, freshly translated with new commentary. This book brings together eleven pairs of opposing speeches on foreign policy written by Florentine statesman and historian Francesco Guicciardini (1483–1540). Collectively, they constitute a remarkable collection of debates on war, peace, alliance, and more. Incisive and elegant, the debates contain an early formulation of concepts such as the balance of power and the security dilemma — ideas that are still in international politics today. This book highlights the importance of Guicciardini's work for the evolution of international theory and explains why he, alongside Machiavelli, should be considered a leading figure of Realism.