Términos teóricos y teorías híbridas de la referencia

Both descriptivism and the causal theory of reference fail to account for the meaning of theoretical terms in a way consistent with scientific realism. Faced with this problem, hybrid theories of reference have been developed. They combine features of both descriptivism and the causal theory and seek to capture the advantages of each. In this work, we critically analyze two strategies to articulate hybrid theories of reference in the face of the problem of the meaning of theoretical terms. They are exemplified by the proposals of Psillos and Kitcher. We argue that neither of these strategies is successful in articulating the descriptive and causal elements in a genuine hybrid theory of reference that satisfies the standards of scientific realism.

Institutions and their strength

Institutions can be strong or weak. But what does this mean? Equilibrium theories equate institutions with behavioural regularities. In contrast, rule theories explicate them in terms of a standard that people are supposed to meet. I propose that, when an institution is weak, a discrepancy exists between the regularity and the standard or rule. To capture this discrepancy, I present a hybrid theory, the Rules-and-Equilibria Theory. According to this theory, institutions are rule-governed behavioural regularities. The Rules-and-Equilibria Theory provides the basis for two measures of institutional strength. First, institutions that pertain to coordination games solve problems of information. Their strength is primarily a matter of the expected degree of compliance. Second, institutions that concern mixed-motive games solve problems of motivation. Their strength can be measured in terms of the weight people attribute to its rule.

Wall-crossing in genus-zero hybrid theory

The hybrid model is the Landau–Ginzburg-type theory that is expected, via the Landau–Ginzburg/ Calabi–Yau correspondence, to match the Gromov–Witten theory of a complete intersection in weighted projective space. We prove a wall-crossing formula exhibiting the dependence of the genus-zero hybrid model on its stability parameter, generalizing the work of [21] for quantum singularity theory and paralleling the work of Ciocan-Fontanine–Kim [7] for quasimaps. This completes the proof of the genus-zero Landau– Ginzburg/Calabi–Yau correspondence for complete intersections of hypersurfaces of the same degree, as well as the proof of the all-genus hybrid wall-crossing [11].

How to Use the Paradox of Hedonism

The paradox of hedonism is the idea that intrinsically desiring nothing other than pleasure can prevent one from obtaining pleasure. In this article, I show how the paradox of hedonism can be used as the basis for an objection against hedonism about well-being, and one that is more defensible than has been commonly recognized. Moreover, I argue that the challenge presented by the paradox can be used to target not only hedonism about well-being, but also desire satisfactionism and the hybrid theory. However, I argue that certain sophisticated versions of all three theories can escape it.

Between Market Failures and Justice Failures: Trade-Offs Between Efficiency and Equality in Business Ethics

The Market Failures Approach (MFA) is one of the leading theories in contemporary business ethics. It generates a list of ethical obligations for the managers of private firms that states that they should not create or exploit market failures because doing so reduces the efficiency of the economy. Recently the MFA has been criticised by Abraham Singer on the basis that it unjustifiably does not assign private managers obligations based on egalitarian values. Singer proposes an extension to the MFA, the Justice Failures Approach (JFA), in which managers have duties to alleviate political, social, and distributive inequalities in addition to having obligations to not exploit market failures. In this paper I describe the MFA and JFA and situate them relative to each other. I then highlight a threefold distinction between different types of obligations that can be given to private managers in order to argue that a hybrid theory of business ethics, which I call the MFA + , can be generated by arguing that managers have obligations based on efficiency and duties based on equality to the extent that these latter obligations do not lead to efficiency losses. This argument suggests a novel theoretical option in business ethics, elucidates the issues that are at stake between the MFA and the JFA, and clarifies the costs and benefits of each theory.

What’s Wrong with Stereotypes?

Stereotypes are commonly alleged to be false or inaccurate views of groups. For shorthand, I call this the falsity hypothesis. The falsity hypothesis is widespread and is often one of the first reasons people cite when they explain why we shouldn’t use stereotypic views in cognition, reasoning, or speech. In this essay, I argue against the falsity hypothesis on both empirical and ameliorative grounds. In its place, I sketch a more promising view of stereotypes—which avoids the falsity hypothesis—that joins my earlier work on stereotypes in individual psychology (2015) with the work of Patricia Hill Collins on cultural stereotypes (2000). According to this two-part hybrid theory, stereotypes are controlling images or ideas that enjoy both a psychological and cultural existence, which serve a regulative social function.

Theory of Time and Literature: A Study of Tina Chang’s “Origin and Ash” and “The Idea of Revelation”

The researcher discusses different theories of time and proposes a hybrid theory in order to investigate the two poems “Origin and Ash” and “The Idea of Revelation” by Tina Chang, daughter of Chinese immigrants and poet laureate of Brooklyn, New York, born in Oklahoma and spent two years of her childhood in Taiwan. I argue that the proposed theory of time can be applied to Chang’s poems since she questions current issues in order to solve them and see the future from a new angle. Although time in Chang’s poems assumes a straightforward nature that tries either to downplay the past as a separate entity or to stress its impracticability in dealing with present problems, at a deeper level the circular nature of time dominates Chang’s inner conflict between her roots and her new identity. “Origin and Ash”, from Half-Lit Houses (2004), discusses the idea of transience of home which is highlighted by Augustine’s three presents. “The Idea of Revelation” from Of Gods & Strangers (2011), questions what the past can offer to reform the present and read the future. The analysis of the two poems proves that the proposed theory of time is a suitable lens for investigating the impact of the conflict between past and present, between ethnic and dominant cultures, in solving present problems and shaping Chinese American future.

Scattering and Its Applications to Various Atomic Processes: Elastic Scattering, Resonances, Photoabsorption, Rydberg States, and Opacity of the Atmosphere of the Sun and Stellar Objects

A scattering process can be a natural process or a process carried out in a laboratory. The scattering of particles from targets has resulted in important discoveries in physics. We discuss various scattering theories of electrons and positrons and their applications to elastic scattering, resonances, photoabsorption, excitation, and solar and stellar atmospheres. Among the most commonly employed approaches are the Kohn variational principle, close-coupling approximation, method of polarized orbitals, R-matrix formulation, and hybrid theory. In every formulation, an attempt is made to include exchange, long-range and short-range correlations, and to make the approach variationally correct. The present formulation, namely, hybrid theory, which is discussed in greater detail compared to other approximations, includes exchange, long-range correlations, and short-range correlations at the same time, and is variationally correct. It was applied to calculate the phase shifts for elastic scattering, the resonance parameters of two-electron systems, photoabsorption in two-electron systems, excitation of atomic hydrogen by an electron and positron impact, and to study the opacity of the Sun’s atmosphere. Calculations of polarizabilities, Rydberg states, and bound states of atoms are also discussed.