Causation at different levels : Tracking the commitments of mechanistic explanations

This paper tracks the commitments of mechanistic explanations focusing on the relation between activities at different levels. It is pointed out that the mechanistic approach is inherently committed to identifying causal connections at higher levels with causal connections at lower levels. For the mechanistic approach to succeed a mechanism as a whole must do the very same thing what its parts organised in a particular way do. The mechanistic approach must also utilise bridge principles connecting different causal terms of different theoretical vocabularies in order to make the identities of causal connections transparent. These general commitments get confronted with two claims made by certain proponents of the mechanistic approach: William Bechtel often argues that within the mechanistic framework it is possible to balance between reducing higher levels and maintaining their autonomy at the same time, whereas, in a recent paper, Craver and Bechtel argue that the mechanistic approach is able to make downward causation intelligible. The paper concludes that the mechanistic approach imbued with identity statements is no better candidate for anchoring higher levels to lower ones while maintaining their autonomy at the same time than standard reductive accounts are, and that what mechanistic explanations are able to do at best is showing that downward causation does not exist

The Extended Mind Thesis and Mechanistic Explanations

The Extended Mind Thesis (EMT) is traditionally formulated against the bedrock of functionalism, and ongoing debates are typically bogged down with questions concerning the exact relationship between EMT and different versions of functionalism. In this paper, I offer a novel ally for EMT: the new mechanistic approach to explanation. I argue that the mechanistic framework provides useful resources not just to disambiguate EMT, and to show which objections fail to pose a serious challenge, but also to answer some of the deeper problems that stem from the functionalist roots of EMT

Cognitive Architecture and the Epistemic Gap : Defending Physicalism without Phenomenal Concepts

The novel approach presented in this paper accounts for the occurrence of the epistemic gap and defends physicalism against anti-physicalist arguments without relying on so-called phenomenal concepts. Instead of concentrating on conceptual features, the focus is shifted to the special characteristics of experiences themselves. To this extent, the account provided is an alternative to the Phenomenal Concept Strategy. It is argued that certain sensory representations, as accessed by higher cognition, lack constituent structure. Unstructured representations could freely exchange their causal roles within a given system which entails their functional unanalysability. These features together with the encapsulated nature of low level complex processes giving rise to unstructured sensory representations readily explain those peculiarities of phenomenal consciousness which are usually taken to pose a serious problem for contemporary physicalism. I conclude that if those concepts which are related to the phenomenal character of conscious experience are special in any way, their characteristics are derivative of and can be accounted for in terms of the cognitive and representational features introduced in the present paper

1984 Is Still Fiction: Electronic Monitoring in the Workplace and U.S. Privacy Law

Electronic monitoring in the workplace has been the subject of relentless public criticism. Privacy advocates argue that technological advancements have given overbearing employers powerful tools to abuse employee dignity in the name of productivity and that new legislation should bolster workplace privacy rights. This iBrief contends that current U.S. legal doctrine governing electronic monitoring in the workplace is fair given the nature and purpose of the workplace, and potential employer liability for employee misconduct

The impact of foreign direct investment inflows on regional labour markets in Hungary

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature and determinants of the regional distribution of foreign investment enterprise (FIE) employment in Hungary. Factors explaining the spatial concentration of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows are investigated and the impact of regional FDI inflows on the performance of regional labour markets is measured. The main conclusion is that the regional distribution of FDI inflows is strongly influenced by the educational level of the local population, the externalities of urban agglomerations and the geographical location of regions. Additional advantages are identified in the case of those regions adjoining the Western-Slovakian, Austrian and Slovenian borders. A self-reinforcing process can be observed here: FDI is attracted to regions where unemployment is lower due to better educational levels and geographical advantages, while an increase in FDI in turn creates new job opportunities. We believe, however, that education and geographical location are in large part merely symptomatic of other, underlying factors. Uncovering these underlying factors has obvious policy implications: location as such cannot be changed, for example, but these background variables could be modified by changes in regional policy.

Effects of foreign direct investment on the performance of local labour markets - The case of Hungary

Post transitional labour markets of the CEE countries have been characterised by marked regional differences. Since labour market differences were mainly generated by demand side factors the paper will concentrate on the spatial pattern of job creation determined mostly by the allocation decisions of foreign investors. Thus, the success or failure of local economies or local labour markets were largely determined by the attractiveness of the individual regions towards FDI. Posttransitional winners of local labour markets can boast of high doses of FDI inflows, while high unemployment regions have been suffering a persistent lack of outside investments. Our analysis intends to identify the winners and losers of transitional local labour markets and to calculate the possible effects of EU-accession on local labour markets in Hungary. Based on micro regional data sets the paper describes the regional distribution of foreign and domestic employment. The first section of the paper discusses the time path of regional labour market differences in Hungary between 1990 - 2001 and identifies the winners and losers of transition. The second chapter analyses the spatial distribution of FDI and domestic firm's employment and identifies the most important explanatory factors of their regional distribution.local labour markets, FDI, transition economies, Hungary

Low participation and regional inequalities : interrelated features of the Hungarian labour market. Case study

"Low participation and spatial polarisation are two interrelated features of the Hungarian labour market. The paper investigates these features taking stock of stylised facts and results of the relevant empirical literature. The first part gives a brief overview of the Impact of transition an the Hungarian labour market. Three phases of transition are discussed and post-transitional labour market development is described in an international comparison. In the second part of the paper the main reasons for the low employment and high inactivity rates are pointed out. In the third part determinants of the spatial labour market differences and polarisation are analysed. The fourth part concludes and offers some policy options." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Arbeitsmarktentwicklung, regionale Disparität, regionaler Arbeitsmarkt, osteuropäischer Transformationsprozess, Erwerbsquote, Arbeitslosenquote, Erwerbsbeteiligung, Arbeitsuchende, Nichterwerbstätigkeit - Ursache, Beschäftigungseffekte, Erwerbsbevölkerung, Altersstruktur, geschlechtsspezifische Faktoren, Ungarn

Transition of the Hungarian Labour Market: Age, Skill and Regional Differences

The system change has been accompanied by large scale redundancies, massive and frequently long-term unemployment, a high level of inactivity and growing income and regional disparities in Hungary. Transition has its winners and losers both in terms of economic activity and wages. The paper describes the role of three factors: age, skill, and location shaping labour market differences during three phases of transition. In the first part of the paper, impact of transition on the Hungarian labour market has been discussed. In the second part we investigate the evolution of age and skill related differences on the labour market. In the third part regional differences will be discussed. Section four concludes and discusses policy options available to reduce labour market disparities in the following years.Hungary, transition, labour market