Academy of Finland

About: Academy of Finland is a government organization based out in Helsinki, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 286 authors who have published 419 publications receiving 15304 citations. The organization is also known as: Finlands Akademi & Suomen Akatemia.

On the Different Ingredients of an Empirical Theory

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses different ingredients of an empirical theory. The interplay between different kinds of concepts in empirical (nonmathematical and nonlogical) theories is elucidated. The contrast between the different kinds of concepts depends on the direction of the interests. The contrast between (more or less) observational concepts and theoretical concepts are discussed. Sometimes the interesting interpretations of results concern the growth of theories. The importance of the notion of depth makes it a promising tool in the study of the different ingredients of an empirical theory.

Preventive action by military means: A contested approach

Abstract: Conflict prevention has become a fashionable term again but with varied and confusing meanings for academics and the policy community. It raises the issue of the use and justification of coercive power including military intervention. The United States has embraced the notion of preventive action as an entry point for military pre-emption. This is formulated in the National Security Strategy of 2002 in which the move is from deterrence to protection. The EU (and Russia), while hesitant in embracing it, does not reject prevention, military pre-emption and the move to protection outright in the Solana doctrine. This is leading to differences between the more interventionaist Powers in the EU (e.g. Britain and France) and those with a more pacifist neutral tradition.

Structure of Dialogue

Abstract: As even casual observation of actual conversations shows, no simple theory of the structure of dialogues can be right. In particular, one can at once dismiss a simplistic view of a dialogue as a linear sequence or Markovian chain of moves where each move is related to, or depends on, only the preceding move in the linear order of utterance. Such dialogues of course occur: for instance, a dialogue may start with a question, which is answered, the answer rejected, the rejection argued for, and so on.