Economic vs. juristic thinking in Carl Menger’s principles of economics

Austrian Economic School is increasingly being treated as one of the most significant and ever more influential bodies of ideas affecting the contemporary economic science. It is well known that Carl Menger, the founder of the Austrian School, was a lawyer by education. The paper is devoted to the degree to which his legal education influenced his economic theorizing. After a close examination of the Menger’s conceptual apparatus and the epistemological ramifications of the key notions underlying his thinking, the paper concludes that the juristic background of the far-reaching theoretical contributions contained in Menger’s Principles was truly decisive. That holds true despite the fact that Menger only exceptionally utilized the juristic vocabulary. The key ingredients of his theoretical creation? such as the individual autonomy, the coincidence of the wills in concluding a contract the effective protection of property and making transactions based on the individual motivation to further one’s own interests to the utmost? are clearly inspired and in many ways influenced by private law, particularly the doctrines underlying the Roman Law and the Austrian Civil Code

Concordance of the Resting State Networks in Typically Developing, 6-to 7-Year-Old Children and Healthy Adults

Though fairly well-studied in adults, less is known about the manifestation of resting state networks (RSN) in children. We examined the validity of RSN derived in an ethnically diverse group of typically developing 6- to 7-year-old children. We hypothesized that the RSNs in young children would be robust and would reliably show significant concordance with previously published RSN in adults. Additionally, we hypothesized that a smaller sample size using this robust technique would be comparable in quality to pediatric RSNs found in a larger cohort study. Furthermore, we posited that compared to the adult RSNs, the primary sensorimotor and the default mode networks (DMNs) in this pediatric group would demonstrate the greatest correspondence, while the executive function networks would exhibit a lesser degree of spatial overlap. Resting state functional magnetic resonance images (rs-fMRI) were acquired in 18 children between 6 and 7 years recruited from an ethnically diverse population in the Mid-South region of the United States. Twenty RSNs were derived using group independent component analysis and their spatial correspondence with previously published adult RSNs was examined. We demonstrate that the rs-fMRI in this group can be deconstructed into the fundamental RSN as all the major RSNs previously described in adults and in a large sample that included older children can be observed in our sample of young children. Further, the primary visual, auditory, and somatosensory networks, as well as the default mode, and frontoparietal networks derived in this group exhibited a greater spatial concordance with those seen in adults. The motor, temporoparietal, executive control, dorsal attention, and cerebellar networks in children had less spatial overlap with the corresponding RSNs in adults. Our findings suggest that several salient RSNs can be mapped reliably in small and diverse pediatric cohort within a narrow age range and the evolution of these RSNs can be studied reliably in such groups during early childhood and adolescence

European Courts as Value-Harmonizing 'Motors of Integration'

The paper first deals with the conditions and prerequisites of adopting European law before the former „real-socialist” countries joined the EU. The key role of European Courts is described by showing that they worked as de facto virtual legislators even before accession. It is emphasized that European Courts have provided the courts and antitrust authorities of new Member States with an inestimable value-based orientation. The EU judicial practice enhanced national legal standards and legal culture in the respective countries. The second part of the contribution contrasts with this positive tone. An example of a serious inconsistency in values between the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Commission is shown concerning their divergent views on “uni-sex insurance” and the draft directive on women’s representation in board member positions. There is substantial disagreement in this matter, which weakens and endangers the integrative role of the CJEU and its habitual value-confirming impact. This disparity could to some extent depreciate the role of European Courts as „motors of integration”.Le document traite d'abord sur les conditions et les préalables de l'adoption de la législation européenne avant que les anciens pays «vraiment» socialistes aient rejoint l'UE. Un grand rôle des juridictions européennes est décrit d’une manière suivante: ils travaillaient en réalité comme des législateurs virtuelles même avant l'adhésion. Il est souligné que les tribunaux et les autorités de la concurrence des nouveaux Etats membres de l'UE ont été fournis d’une orientation axée sur la valeur inestimable par les juridictions européennes. La pratique judiciaire de l'UE renforçait des normes juridiques nationales et de la culture juridique dans les pays respectifs. La deuxième partie de la contribution contraste avec ce ton positif. Un exemple d'une grave incohérence de valeur entre la Cour de justice de l'Union européenne (CJUE) et la Commission européenne, concernant la divergence entre la CJUE et la Commission européenne dans une affaire qu'on appelle «l'assurance uni - sexe» et le projet d'une directive sur la représentation des femmes aux postes de membres du conseil d'administration est présenté. Il y a un désaccord important dans cette matière qui affaiblit et met en danger le rôle intégratif de la CJUE et son impact habituel de confirmation de valeur; il pourrait, en quelque sorte, déprécier le rôle des tribunaux européens étant des «moteurs de l'intégration»