Descartes on Physical Vacuum: Rationalism in Natural-Philosophical Debate

Descartes is notorious for holding a strong anti-vacuist position. On his view, according to the standard reading, empty space not only does not exist in nature, but it is logically impossible. The very notion of a void or vacuum is an incoherent one. Recently Eric Palmer has proposed a revisionist reading of Descartes on empty space, arguing that he is more sanguine about its possibility. Palmer makes use of Descartes’ early correspondence with Marin Mersenne, including his commentary on Galileo’s Two New Sciences. I argue that Palmer’s reading is mistaken, and that it relies on an understandable but faulty inference—i.e., that if Descartes considers the implications of an opposing view, he must find it at least coherent. Descartes, as I show from his correspondence and other texts, uses a variety of persuasive strategies, and levels charges of different logical strength, against positions which he takes to be incoherent. Thus we cannot infer from the fact that Descartes argues, e.g., that something is a superfluous theoretical entity, that he admits that entity’s coherence. He often chooses to argue a weaker thesis against an opponent so that he can use an argument to which the opponent is more likely to agree

The Doha Round and Kenya: Good and Not So Good Lessons

The global financial crisis and spiking unemployment figures have raised the threat of escalating barriers to trade. An early conclusion to the Doha Round might help avert some of the increase in protectionism, but no one knows by how much. And while Doha will help the world economy, it will also create winners and losers across countries and across sectors within countries (Polaski, 2006). How much developing countries can win or lose depends, to a large extent, on how the issue of agricultural subsidies in developed countries is resolved. But it also depends on the definition of sensitive commodities and the effects of further liberalising trade in manufacturing goods. Developing countries will have to look very carefully at the gains and losses from proposed Doha Round agreements, the so-called ?modalities?. For many developing countries, the nature of any agreed package will be more important than reaching any agreement by a specific deadline.The Doha Round and Kenya: Good and Not So Good Lessons

SIMULTANEITY OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND PRODUCTIVITY

A simultaneous equation generalized probit model is estimated to determine factors affecting technology adoption by California dairy farmers. Since productivity and technology choice are jointly determined, a single-equation approach to determine whether productivity affects technology adoption is subject to simultaneity bias. Since the system of equations contains both continuous and discrete endogenous variables, generalized probit is used. The findings indicate that the biased single-equation estimates tend to exaggerate relationships with explanatory variables, and in some cases, lead to different implications. This emphasizes the need to use the consistent and asymptotically more efficient generalized probit results to account for simultaneity.Productivity Analysis,

Pro-poor growth: what is it?

Poverty, pro-poor

PREDICTING BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN USE BY CALIFORNIA DAIRY FARMERS

An ex ante adoption model of bovine somatotropin (BST) is estimated with survey data of California milk producers. Theoretical justification is developed for incorporation of socioeconomic explanatory variables in a technology-adoption model. The advantages of a multinomial over a binomial ex ante model also are presented. The multinomial logit model is used to predict BST adoption, to test hypotheses on characteristics associated with knowledge and receptiveness towards BST, and to predict potential structural changes in the California dairy industry due to the release of BST technology.Livestock Production/Industries,

Latin America?s Progress on Gender Equality: Poor Women Workers Are Still Left Behind

Latin America?s Progress on Gender Equality: Poor Women Workers Are Still Left Behind

Do CCTs Reduce Poverty?

.Poverty, CCT, Cash Transfers

Inequality and the Education MDG for Latin America

.Poverty, Inequality, MDG

Job Creation versus Cash Transfers in Kenya

.Job creation, Cash trasnfers, Keny, Poverty, International Poverty Centre