William J. Talbott
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195173482
- eISBN:
- 9780199872176
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195173482.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter uses the main principle to explain why economic rights should be regarded as human rights. Property rights, contract rights, and other economic rights are a solution to the productive ...
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This chapter uses the main principle to explain why economic rights should be regarded as human rights. Property rights, contract rights, and other economic rights are a solution to the productive investment CAP. Property and contract rights are not defined a priori, but should be defined in a way that they will, as a practice, do the best job of equitably promoting life prospects. The chapter uses the main principle to explain the moral appropriateness of (1) the contours of property rights to both tangible and intangible property; (2) exceptions to contracts, including unconscionability, implied warranties, strict liability, mandatory disclosure, bankruptcy; (3) the replacement of caveat emptor with caveat venditor in win-win contracts; (4) market economies; (5) negative income tax; (6) voluntary consent to economic and other transactions; (7) prohibitions on slavery contracts; (8) minimum wage legislation. The chapter contrasts his account with fair starting-point theories of justice, including Ronald Dworkin’s theory. He also contrasts his account with Richard Posner’s account of the common law in terms of economic efficiency.Less
This chapter uses the main principle to explain why economic rights should be regarded as human rights. Property rights, contract rights, and other economic rights are a solution to the productive investment CAP. Property and contract rights are not defined a priori, but should be defined in a way that they will, as a practice, do the best job of equitably promoting life prospects. The chapter uses the main principle to explain the moral appropriateness of (1) the contours of property rights to both tangible and intangible property; (2) exceptions to contracts, including unconscionability, implied warranties, strict liability, mandatory disclosure, bankruptcy; (3) the replacement of caveat emptor with caveat venditor in win-win contracts; (4) market economies; (5) negative income tax; (6) voluntary consent to economic and other transactions; (7) prohibitions on slavery contracts; (8) minimum wage legislation. The chapter contrasts his account with fair starting-point theories of justice, including Ronald Dworkin’s theory. He also contrasts his account with Richard Posner’s account of the common law in terms of economic efficiency.
Evan Osborne
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780804796446
- eISBN:
- 9781503604247
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804796446.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
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 ...
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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.Less
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.
Brian P. Ingalls, Tau-Mu Yi, and Pablo A. Iglesias
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262195485
- eISBN:
- 9780262257060
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262195485.003.0012
- Subject:
- Mathematics, Mathematical Biology
This chapter presents a framework ideally suited to an analysis of dynamic systems. Tools from control theory can be applied to elucidate the functioning of self-regulating (homeostatic) systems and ...
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This chapter presents a framework ideally suited to an analysis of dynamic systems. Tools from control theory can be applied to elucidate the functioning of self-regulating (homeostatic) systems and to predict the effect of perturbations. It begins with an introduction to the framework of linear systems and one of the primary tools for describing their behavior: the frequency response. It then discusses how one particular type of control system, integral feedback control, plays a crucial role in both homeostasis and sensory adaptation. Next, it considers other uses of feedback mechanisms in cell signaling pathways.Less
This chapter presents a framework ideally suited to an analysis of dynamic systems. Tools from control theory can be applied to elucidate the functioning of self-regulating (homeostatic) systems and to predict the effect of perturbations. It begins with an introduction to the framework of linear systems and one of the primary tools for describing their behavior: the frequency response. It then discusses how one particular type of control system, integral feedback control, plays a crucial role in both homeostasis and sensory adaptation. Next, it considers other uses of feedback mechanisms in cell signaling pathways.
Tim Lenton and Andrew Watson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- December 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199587049
- eISBN:
- 9780191775031
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199587049.003.0007
- Subject:
- Physics, Geophysics, Atmospheric and Environmental Physics
This chapter discusses the central premise of Jim Lovelock's Gaia theory, according to which the Earth self-regulates in a habitable state, and your task is to create such a planetary scale ...
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This chapter discusses the central premise of Jim Lovelock's Gaia theory, according to which the Earth self-regulates in a habitable state, and your task is to create such a planetary scale self-regulating system. This concept has been presented here as a game so that it can be explored how likely or unlikely it is that once life is introduced to a planet, regulation will emerge. To make a convincing case either way, we need to find a way around the problem that we have a sample size of only one Earth. Hence we have introduced planet Ocean as an additional, ‘virtual world’. Recent research has increased the sample size further by simulating many virtual worlds, seeding them with ‘artificial life’ forms, and seeing how things turn out.Less
This chapter discusses the central premise of Jim Lovelock's Gaia theory, according to which the Earth self-regulates in a habitable state, and your task is to create such a planetary scale self-regulating system. This concept has been presented here as a game so that it can be explored how likely or unlikely it is that once life is introduced to a planet, regulation will emerge. To make a convincing case either way, we need to find a way around the problem that we have a sample size of only one Earth. Hence we have introduced planet Ocean as an additional, ‘virtual world’. Recent research has increased the sample size further by simulating many virtual worlds, seeding them with ‘artificial life’ forms, and seeing how things turn out.
Crispin Tickell
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262194983
- eISBN:
- 9780262283182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262194983.003.0021
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This chapter describes how Gaia theory has become an integrative factor in modern science. It brings the physical and biological environments together into a single self-regulating system, allowing ...
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This chapter describes how Gaia theory has become an integrative factor in modern science. It brings the physical and biological environments together into a single self-regulating system, allowing for both temporal and spatial variability. The impact of our animal species on the Earth is enormous and increasing. In trying to cope with the problems thus created, we should remember that Gaia has no special tenderness for humans. We need to treat its current configuration with respect and understanding. Gaia theory is a supreme example of interdisciplinarity. It comes at a time when science as such is under challenge from a society somewhat disenchanted with it. Whether it be over civil nuclear power, asbestos, thalidomide, or “mad cow disease,” public skepticism over scientific claims has greatly increased.Less
This chapter describes how Gaia theory has become an integrative factor in modern science. It brings the physical and biological environments together into a single self-regulating system, allowing for both temporal and spatial variability. The impact of our animal species on the Earth is enormous and increasing. In trying to cope with the problems thus created, we should remember that Gaia has no special tenderness for humans. We need to treat its current configuration with respect and understanding. Gaia theory is a supreme example of interdisciplinarity. It comes at a time when science as such is under challenge from a society somewhat disenchanted with it. Whether it be over civil nuclear power, asbestos, thalidomide, or “mad cow disease,” public skepticism over scientific claims has greatly increased.
Pablo A. Iglesias and Brian P. Ingalls (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262013345
- eISBN:
- 9780262258906
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262013345.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Biomathematics / Statistics and Data Analysis / Complexity Studies
Issues of regulation and control are central to the study of biological and biochemical systems. Thus it is not surprising that the tools of feedback control theory—engineering techniques developed ...
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Issues of regulation and control are central to the study of biological and biochemical systems. Thus it is not surprising that the tools of feedback control theory—engineering techniques developed to design and analyze self-regulating systems—have proven useful in the study of these biological mechanisms. Such interdisciplinary work requires knowledge of the results, tools, and techniques of another discipline, as well as an understanding of the culture of an unfamiliar research community. This book attempts to bridge the gap between disciplines by presenting applications of systems and control theory to cell biology that range from surveys of established material to descriptions of new developments in the field. The first chapter offers a primer on concepts from dynamical systems and control theory, which allows the life scientist with no background in control theory to understand the concepts presented in the rest of the book. Following the introduction of ordinary differential equation-based modeling in the first chapter, the second and third chapters discuss alternative modeling frameworks. The remaining chapters sample a variety of applications, considering such topics as quantitative measures of dynamic behavior, modularity, stoichiometry, robust control techniques, and network identification.Less
Issues of regulation and control are central to the study of biological and biochemical systems. Thus it is not surprising that the tools of feedback control theory—engineering techniques developed to design and analyze self-regulating systems—have proven useful in the study of these biological mechanisms. Such interdisciplinary work requires knowledge of the results, tools, and techniques of another discipline, as well as an understanding of the culture of an unfamiliar research community. This book attempts to bridge the gap between disciplines by presenting applications of systems and control theory to cell biology that range from surveys of established material to descriptions of new developments in the field. The first chapter offers a primer on concepts from dynamical systems and control theory, which allows the life scientist with no background in control theory to understand the concepts presented in the rest of the book. Following the introduction of ordinary differential equation-based modeling in the first chapter, the second and third chapters discuss alternative modeling frameworks. The remaining chapters sample a variety of applications, considering such topics as quantitative measures of dynamic behavior, modularity, stoichiometry, robust control techniques, and network identification.
Stephen H. Schneider, James R. Miller, Eileen Crist, and Penelope J. Boston (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262194983
- eISBN:
- 9780262283182
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262194983.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and ...
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This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and biological processes are linked to form a complex, self-regulating system, and that life has affected this system over time. Until a few decades ago, most of the earth sciences viewed the planet through disciplinary lenses: biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric, and ocean studies. The Gaia hypothesis, on the other hand, takes a very broad interdisciplinary approach. Its most controversial aspect suggests that life actively participates in shaping the physical and chemical environment on which it depends in a way that optimizes the conditions for life. Despite initial dismissal of the Gaian approach as New Age philosophy, it has today been incorporated into mainstream interdisciplinary scientific theory, as seen in its strong influence on the field of Earth System Science. This book provides a multi-faceted examination of Gaia as science and addresses significant criticism of, and changes in, the hypothesis since its introduction. Chapters explore the scientific, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of Gaia. They address such topics as the compatibility of natural selection and Gaian processes, Gaia and the “thermodynamics of life,” the role of computer models in Gaian science (from James Lovelock’s famous but controversial “Daisyworld” to more sophisticated models that use the techniques of artificial life), pre-Socratic precedents for the idea of a “Living Earth,” and the climate of the Amazon Basin as a Gaian system.Less
This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and biological processes are linked to form a complex, self-regulating system, and that life has affected this system over time. Until a few decades ago, most of the earth sciences viewed the planet through disciplinary lenses: biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric, and ocean studies. The Gaia hypothesis, on the other hand, takes a very broad interdisciplinary approach. Its most controversial aspect suggests that life actively participates in shaping the physical and chemical environment on which it depends in a way that optimizes the conditions for life. Despite initial dismissal of the Gaian approach as New Age philosophy, it has today been incorporated into mainstream interdisciplinary scientific theory, as seen in its strong influence on the field of Earth System Science. This book provides a multi-faceted examination of Gaia as science and addresses significant criticism of, and changes in, the hypothesis since its introduction. Chapters explore the scientific, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of Gaia. They address such topics as the compatibility of natural selection and Gaian processes, Gaia and the “thermodynamics of life,” the role of computer models in Gaian science (from James Lovelock’s famous but controversial “Daisyworld” to more sophisticated models that use the techniques of artificial life), pre-Socratic precedents for the idea of a “Living Earth,” and the climate of the Amazon Basin as a Gaian system.
