Showing papers on "Class (philosophy) published in 1983"

Theories of Capitalist Transformation: Critical Notes on the Comparison of Marx And Schumpeter

Abstract: John E. Elliott's [19801 article on some of the parallels between the visions of capitalist transformation to be found in Marx and Schumpeter is extremely significant insofar as it requires a serious reexamination of the Schumpeterian system. Elliott's argument, however, is somewhat misleading, since it overemphasizes the points at which their theories overlap, while largely neglecting the very crucial differences in "intentions and results" [Schumpeter, 1951, pp. 158-61]. It is nearly always a vain endeavor to attempt to analyze the often complex interconnections between economic theorists, while adopting the simple framework of an either-or of similarities and differences. The inadequacy of such a method is particularly evident in a case where the theorists being considered are each deservedly famous for their "dialectical imagination." In my view, most of Elliott's observations are reasonably accurate, though limited and misleading. However, in one crucial respect this general accuracy is violated, with important consequences for his overall approach. In his description of "Marx's version of the precapitalist exchange economy" and its relationship to Schumpeter's notion of the "circular flow," he confuses two quite different Marxian categories: "simple commodity production" and "simple reproduction" [1980, p. 50n]. It was the latter concept and not the former that was Marx's equivalent of Schumpeter's "circular flow," as well as Walras's "general equilibrium" and Marshall's "long-run equilibrium" [Sweezy, 1970, p. 277; Khan, 1957, pp. 73-76]. According to Elliott, the Marxian model of stationary equilibrium, which he takes to be equivalent to simple commodity production (a "simple exchange economy" in which exchange value is not the object of production), involves "the absence of a capital-labor class division" [1980, p. 50]. This is in clear contradiction to Marx's actual model of a steady-state economy (simple reproduction), which has as its basis not the absence of a division between capital and labor, but the assumption that

CHAPTER 14 – Abstract Complexity

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses abstract complexity. It discusses an abstract theory of the amount of resources needed to carry out computations. In practical terms, resources can be measured in various ways: storage space used, time, some weighted average of central processor time and peripheral processor time, some combinations of space and time used, or even monetary cost. A 2-ary partial function is called a complexity measure if it satisfies the Blum axiom. Computer scientists often seek programs that will obtain a desired result using minimum resources. The speedup theorem tells that it is possible for there to be no best program for this purpose. The theorem states that there exists a recursive function that is so badly behaved that for every program to compute it, there is another program which computes the same function but uses much less resources. The proof of the speedup theorem is quite intricate. A diagonal argument constructs an object that is guaranteed not to belong to a given class by systematically ensuring that the object differs in some way from each member of the class. More intricate diagonal arguments often are carried out in an infinite sequence of stages; at each stage, one seeks to ensure that the object being constructed is different from some particular member of the class.

Class, mass and mereology

Abstract: LeSniewski’s systems of Ontology and Mereology, considered from a purely formal point of view, possessstriking algebraic parallels, ascan be seen in their respective relations to Boolean algebra. But there are alsoimportant divergences, above all that general Mereology is silent, where Ontology is not, on the existenceof ‘atoms’ (individuals). By employing plural terms, LeSniewski sought to accommodate talk of (distributive)classes, without according these an autonomous ontological status. His logic also – like predicate logic– has no place for mass predication in its raw state. It is argued that reference both to pluralities and tomasses is ineliminable, and that one must therefore separate the grammatical distinction singular/pluralfrom the ontological distinction individual/class/mass. A kind of language, modelled on kiniewski’s, issuggested which enables these distinctions to be held apart and at the same time, building on the work ofRichard Sharvy, allows us to express the most important relationship...

Openingssequenties Van Lesbeginnen

Abstract: An attempt is made to analyse some aspects of the sequencing structure in the openings of lessons.It is shown that there are different levels of sequencing for different sets of participants. On a base-line two sequential posi-tions are realized within the participant set "whole class". Posi-tion one is occupied by the teacher and contains at least an utterance or nonverbal signal with a directive function. Position two is the nonverbal reaction of the pupils to this directive. It can have situation-sensitive expansions through the embedding of sequences which are constrained on two levels: Topically, the embedded sequences handle more detailed aspects of the directive in position one; interactionally, they apply to a smaller set of participants. The base-line positions together with the embedded sequences form a kind of directive clusters. They are terminated with the comple-tion of position two, which is realized by the devices the teacher uses in initiating a next position for the participant set "whole class". Such verbal and nonverbal devices also constitute the respective participant sets and the shifts between them. Especially on boundaries as the transition from one directive cluster to the following the devices are typically ordered in a tripartite structure. It is shown that the pupils orient themselves to this order in coordinating their actions with those of the teacher.Some discussion is offered to the tasks different directive clusters have. One type organizes an additive kind of availability that is connected with the specific lesson. It is optionably insertable and located after a directive position of the other kind. This latter one organizes the discourse availability of the pupils. It is obligatory, though reducable to routinized nonverbal signals.Some properties of the sequential structure are also discussed. The directive clusters as a whole have the property of repeatabi-lity, contrary to the summons/answer-pair in conversational openings. The repetitions give the openings an intervalle charac-ter, alternating verbal and nonverbal positions and chaining clusters together.On the other hand the directive clusters as a whole are nonter-minal; the type of nonterminality differs from that of the summons/ answer-pair in conversational openings. Throughout the paper constrastive comparisons are made with Schegloff's analysis of sequencing in the openings of telephone calls. The analysis is based on 21 video-taped openings of lessons (recorded in Germany (FRG)).

Minimal Realization of a Class of Decentralized Systems

Abstract: The minimal realization of a class of decentralized systems (single-input, single-output channels, distinct eigenvalues) is considered. It is shown that "parameter independent" eigenvalues may be easily identified and discarded from the state-space model. On the other hand, the "parameter dependent" fixed modes are identified in the transfer-function-matrix and minimization is done before going to a state space description.

The Definition and Computation of Average Neutron Lifetimes

Abstract: A precise physical definition is offered for a class of average lifetimes for neutrons in an assembly of materials, either multiplying or not, or if the former, critical or not. A compact theoretical expression for the general member of this class is derived in terms of solutions to the transport equation. Three specific definitions are considered. Particular exact expressions for these are derived and reduced to simple algebraic formulas for one-group and two-group homogeneous bare-core models.

Environmental Relations in Image Understanding: The Force of Gravity

Abstract: [n this paper we show how assumptions and information concerning the external world properties of "horizontal" and "vertical" can aid in the analysis of images. even at the very lowest levels of processing. First. we review the pervasiveness of the force of gravity, and its innuence on most natural image understanding systems. Next. we derive several fundamental mathematical results relating phenomena in both the gradient space and the image space to the external world attributes of horizontal and vertical. We then show how these results interrelate three imaging phenomena: the surfaces in the image. the external sensor parameters, and the environmental labels. We detail how. in general. specific information regarding any two of these phenomena can be used to quantitatively derive the third; occasionally one can do even better. Algorithms for such quantitative derivations are presented, including two based on the Hough transform. We further show how certain environmental perpendicularities can be exploited very erriciently, and even elegantly: ordinarily complex math simplifies to the extent that environmental distances can be directly read off the image. In this regard, they are analogous to the traditional line labellings of "concave" and "convex". The power of such environmental labels is then demonstrated by an analysis of th.e source of ambiguity in a simple illusion-like image configuration. The paper concludes with an analysis of the class of heuristics that have been invoked throughout. They are seen to be instantiations of the shape-from-texture meta-heuristics that "near implies preferred" and "preferred implies simple".

A Comparison of Two Methods of Teaching Computer Programming to Secondary Mathematics Students.

Abstract: This study was formulated in order to gain information about the effectiveness of two methods of instructing sec­ ondary mathematics students in introductory computer pro­ gramming. Investigation of programming instruction in a reduced period of time was a major component of the study for those educators who choose to teach programming as a portion of a mathematics course must do so under time con­ straints. The r e s e a r c h w as c o n d u c te d i n t h r e e p u b l i c s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l s i n S t . Mary P a r is h i n L o u is ia n a . The s u b j e c t s w ere e n r o l l e d i n an a lg e b r a I I o r a g e o m e tr y c l a s s d u r in g t h e s p r in g s e m e s te r o f t h e 1 9 8 2 -8 3 a ca d em ic y e a r . An e x p e r im e n t a l c o n t r o l g r o u p , p r e t e s t p o s t t e s t d e s ig n was em p lo y ed i n t h e s t u d y . The e x p e r im e n ta l g ro u p w as com posed o f s i x t y n i n e s t u d e n t s , and t h e c o n t r o l g ro u p c o n s i s t e d o f s ix t y t w o s t u d e n t s . The p u r p o se o f t h i s e x p e r im e n t w as t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e e f f e c t o f two m eth o d s o f t e a c h in g co m p u ter program m ing u s in g t h e BASIC la n g u a g e . S u b j e c t s i n t h e e x p e r im e n ta l g ro u p r e c e i v e d i n s t r u c t i o n i n t h e t u r t l e g r a p h ic s com ponent o f L o g o , a s im p le la n g u a g e d e s ig n e d f o r a c h i l d ' s i n i t i a l co m p u ter e x p e r i e n c e s , and t h e y d e s ig n e d tw o p ro g ra m s u s in g t h i s la n g u a g e . The Logo p h a se o f t h e t r e a tm e n t a c c o u n te d f o r a p p r o x im a te ly 2 5 p e r c e n t o f t h e t o t a l t r e a tm e n t t im e .