"Do I see what the market does not see?" Counterfactual thinking in financial markets

'Basierend auf einer Betrachtung des kontrafaktischen Denkens in den Finanzmärkten, schlägt der Beitrag ein von der Standarddefinition abweichendes Verständnis des Begriffes vor. Die Sozialpsychologie definiert das kontrafaktische Denken als Entwicklung alternativer Varianten vergangener Ereignisse. Zwei Erweiterungen werden in dem Beitrag behandelt: Die hinterfragten Tatsachen beziehen sich auch auf die Zukunft und werden in den sozialen Kontexten konstruiert. Folglich soll das kontrafaktische Denken nicht nur als eine allgemeine Eigenschaft menschlicher Mentalität, sondern auch als ein Element sozialen Lebens betrachtet werden. Es ist ein Instrument des Umgangs mit der Komplexität zukünftiger Ereignisse in den jeweiligen sozialen Rahmenbedingungen.' (Autorenreferat)'Based on the study of counterfactual thinking in the financial markets, the paper suggests a deviation from the standard definition of counterfactuals. The social psychology traditionally defines counterfactual thinking as the development of alternative versions of past events. Two enhancements of this understanding are suggested in the paper: the contradicted facts are related to the future and are socially constructed. Thus, counterfactual thinking should be investigated not only as a common feature of the human mentality but also as an element of social life. It is an instrument to cope with the complexity of future events in social settings.' (author's abstract

Decision-theoretic approaches to non-knowledge in economics

The aim of this contribution is to provide an overview of conceptual approaches to incorporating a decision maker’s non-knowledge into economic theory. We will focus here on the particular kind of non-knowledge which we consider to be one of the most important for economic discussions: non-knowledge of possible consequence-relevant uncertain events which a decision maker would have to take into account when selecting between different strategies

Molokani v Ruské říši a v Zakavkazsku

The Molokans are one of the most remarkable representatives of Russian sectarianism from the early 19th century, belonging to spiritual Christianity. Due to their isolation from the Russian Orthodox Church and different belief system, followers of the Molokan movement were expelled to the Transcaucasian countries, where they became a unifying element in the cultures of Russia and the peoples of Transcaucasia. This topic is an aspect of the current day question of relations between Russia and the countries of the Transcaucasia, which retains its importance today. This work examines the history of the Molokan community in the context of the history of three Transcaucasian countries: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and also analyzes the role of this phenomenon in the Transcaucasian region. Keywords: Molokans, spiritual Christianity, Transcaucasia, sectarianism, Russian Empire, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, historyMolokani jsou jedni z nejpozoruhodnějších představitelů ruského sektářství z počátku 19.století, patřící k duchovnímu křesťanství. Kvůli své izolaci od ruské pravoslavné církve a odlišné věrouce byli stoupenci molokanského hnutí vyhoštěni do zakavkazských zemí, kde se stávají sjednocujícím elementem v kulturách Ruska a národů Zakavkazska. Toto téma je aspektem aktuální otázky vztahů mezi Ruskem a zeměmi jižního Kavkazu, který si zachovává svůj význam i v dnešní době. Táto práce zkoumá historii molokanské komunity v kontextu dějin tří zakavkazských zemí: Gruzie, Arménie a Ázerbájdžánu, a také analyzuje roli tohoto jevu v Zakavkazsku. Klíčová slova: molokani, duchovní křesťanství, Zakavkazsko, sektářství, Ruská říše, Gruzie, Arménie, Ázerbájdžán, dějinyInstitute of East European StudiesÚstav východoevropských studiíFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

The poet who failed his best play? Podmiot mówiący w utworach zespołu Nightwish wobec paradygmatu romantycznego

Artykuł dotyczy problematyki podmiotu mówiącego w twórczości zespołu Nightwish w zestawieniu z romantycznymi koncepcjami poezji, miłości i natury, a także mitem poety „wyklętego”, na którego kreuje się lider grupy Tuomas Holopainen. Tekst porusza kwestie autowizerunku i autentyczności artystów, a także wielokodowości narracji w muzyce rockowej. Analizuje tzw. program literacki zespołu na poziomie słownym, ikonicznym i muzycznym, zaczynając od wczesnej twórczości poprzez album koncepcyjny Century Child i zamykając ostatnim koncertem z udziałem wokalistki Tarji Turunen End of an Era

Origins of leakage currents on electrolyte-gated graphene field-effect transistors

Graphene field-effect transistors are widely used for development of biosensors. However, certain fundamental questions about details of their functioning are not fully understood yet. One of these questions is the presence of gate (leakage) currents in the electrolyte-gated configuration. Here, we report our observations considering causes of this phenomena on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene. We observed that gate currents reflect currents that occur on the transistor surface similarly to a working electrode - counter electrode pair currents in an electrochemical cell. Gate currents are capacitive when the graphene channel is doped by holes and Faradaic when it is doped by electrons in field-effect measurements. The Faradaic current is attributed to a reduction of oxygen dissolved in the aqueous solution and its magnitude increases with each measurement. We employed cyclic voltammetry with a redox probe Fc(MeOH)2 to characterize changes of the graphene structure that are responsible for this activation. Collectively, our results reveal that through the course of catalytic oxygen reduction on the transistor's surface more defects appear

DEVELOPMENT OF FAIRNESS UNDERSTANDING IN PRESCHOOLERS

Humans value fairness in themselves and others, but controversies exist as to how to allocate resources fairly. This dissertation explores ontogenetic roots of fairness by assessing preschoolers’ responses in situations where different principles of distributive justice are put in conflict. Study 1 asked whether 3- and 5-year-old children are able to take others’ subjective needs into account when distributing resources. Children allocated rewards to two recipients, one of whom was needier than the other, in two conditions: with an even and an odd number of resources. Results show that 3-year-olds use the equality principle as a default, but can distribute on the basis of need when resources cannot be divided equally. By 5 years of age, children’s concern about others’ needs is stronger and can trump the equality principle. Study 2 examined how children balance considerations of universal fairness with their own self-serving motives. Three- and 5-year-olds had to choose between two distributors, one of whom had previously been fair to everyone and the other had favored one of the recipients. Children either observed the distributions as a third party or served as favored recipients themselves. Results show that at 3 year of age, children only prefer fair distributors in third-party contexts. By age 5, children choose fair partners even when it conflicts with their own interests. This developmental period thus appears to be the time when norms of fairness grow in importance and can override children’s self-regarding motives

Fenomén kosmopolitního Baku

The purpose of this work is a detailed study of the four largest ethnic groups that made up the main population of Baku at the turn of 19th and 20th centuries: Azerbaijanis, Russians, Jews and Armenians. The paper examines the characteristics of each ethnic group on the example of the brightest representatives, its influence on the city and interaction with other ethnic groups. In the context of non- autochthonous ethnic groups, special attention is paid to the history of their emergence and consolidation as a significant ethnic minority among the urban population, as well as the accompanying prerequisites and the ensuing consequences. The work aims to reveal the phenomenon of Baku cosmopolitanism in the context of the non-intrusive policy of the Russian Empire in the South Caucasus and its position at the time of the collapse of the empire and the formation of an independent state. Key words: Baku, cosmopolitanism, Azerbaijan, ethnic minorities, South Caucasus, Russian Empire, Armenians, Jews, history.Cílem této práce je podrobná studie čtyř nejpočetnějších etnických skupin, které tvořily hlavní populaci Baku, tj. Ázerbájdžánců, Rusů, Židů a Arménů. Práce si klade za úkol analyzovat základní charakteristiky každé etnické skupiny, její nejvýznamnější představitele, její vliv na město a interakci s jinými etnickými skupinami. Co se neautochtonních etnik týče, zvláštní pozornost bude věnována historii jejich vzniku a konsolidace jejich postavení coby významné etnické menšiny mezi městským obyvatelstvem, jakož i souvisejícím předpokladům a důsledkům, které z toho vyplývají. Práce si klade za cíl odhalit fenomén bakinského kosmopolitismu v kontextu politiky Ruského impéria na Kavkaze a jeho postavení v době rozpadu impéria a vzniku samostatného státu. Klíčová slova: Baku, kosmopolitismus, Ázerbájdžán, etnické menšiny, Jižní Kavkaz, Ruská říše, Armény, Židé, dějiny.Institute of East European StudiesÚstav východoevropských studiíFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

Models at Work—Models in Decision Making

In recent years, research on modeling in both the philosophy of science and the social studies of science and technology has undergone an acute transformation. Philosophers and social scientists have begun to realize that science, in the words of Carrier and Nordmann, has increasingly shifted its focus from “epistemic or truth-oriented” research to “application-dominated” research. “Science is viewed today as an essentially practical endeavor” (Carrier and Nordmann 2011, 1) and should be considered in the context of its application. In accordance with this re-orienting of science, research on modeling has also changed. Still considering models as genuinely scientific tools, philosophers and social scientists promoted the “practice turn” that suggests a sharper focus on pragmatic issues and the performative and productive role of modeling. Application of models for the resolution of practice-related problems is viewed as an extension of science