Suchergebnisse

The production and distribution of the information press -- The writers, self-presentation, and subjectivity -- Reading together, book references and reading practices -- Popular science and public participation -- Agricultural reform and local innovation -- Bienfaisance, fellow-feeling, and the public good -- Communicating the revolution.

Modern politics is highly science-dependent and knowledge-driven. What is the rightful role of expert knowledge in political life? How can the truth claims of science be reconciled with principles of democratic control and lay participatory rights in decision-making? This collection of essays by political scientists, sociologists and economists from Germany, France and Norway provides different empirical and theoretical analyses of the complex organising and legitimising power of knowledge in political governance. The authors shed light on key dimensions and dilemmas that have shaped the world

THE AUTHORS AND STEPHEN WALT AGREE ON MANY ISSUES. HE CONTENDS THAT "THE CENTRAL AIM OF SOCIAL SCIENCE IS TO DEVELOP KNOWLEDGE THAT IS RELEVANT TO UNDERSTANDING IMPORTANT SOCIAL PROBLEMS. AMONG OTHER THINGS, THIS TASK REQUIRES THEORIES THAT ARE PRECISE, LOGICALLY CONSISTENT, ORIGINAL, AND EMPIRICALLY VALID." THE AUTHORS DISCUSS HOW THE RATIONAL CHOICE APPROACH TO SECURITY STUDIES CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY IN THESE WAYS. ADDITIONALLY, THEY ADDRESS SOME MISREPRESENTATIONS IN WALT'S ARTICLE.

THIS ARTICLE HAS TWO OBJECTIVES: FIRST, TO SUGGEST THAT A NEXT STEP IN PRODUCING MORE RIGOROUS KNOWLEDGE IS TO CONSTRUCT THEORIES USEABLE IN THE WORLD OF PRACTICE: IMPLEMENTATION IS A NONTRIVIAL TEST OF ANY SUCH THEORY'S FEATURES. SECOND, TO SUGGEST THAT RESEARCH WITH A STRONG INTERVENTION COMPONENT IS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE WHAT IS OUTLINED IN THE FIRST OBJECTIVE. BECAUSE IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANY MODEL CAN STATE AHEAD OF TIME ALL THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION IN A GIVEN SITUATION, GAP FILLING MUST BE DONE. ITERATIVE LEARNING IS A KEY PROCESS FOR EFFECTIVELY FILLING GAPS.

Starting with Richard Popkin's essay of 1963, `Scepticism in the Enlightenment', a new investigation into philosophical scepticism of the period was launched. The late Giorgio Tonelli and the late Ezequiel de Olaso examined in great detail the kinds of scepticism developed during the Enlightenment, and the kind of answer to scepticism that was developed by Leibniz. Their original researches and interpretations are of great value and importance. As a result of their work Popkin modified his original claims, as shown in the last two articles in this volume. The book contains an introduction by Popkin and 10 essays, two of which have never been published before. This collection should be of interest to students and scholars of 18th century thought in England, France and Germany

THOMAS SCHELLING TAUGHT THAT IN ORDINARY HUMAN AFFAIRS, CONFLICT AND COMMON INTEREST ARE UBIQUITOUSLY INTERTWINED. THE AUTHOR IS NOT CONCERNED WITH THE COLLABORATION THAT TRANSPIRES IN THE FACE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST, BUT THE SUCCESS WHICH MEETS MORE THAN HALFWAY IN THOSE LIMITING CASES OF PURE COORDINATION. SHE PROPOSES AN ANTI-KANTIAN ACCOUNT OF AGENCY THAT TAKES AS ITS POINT OF DEPARTURE PRECISELY THE KINDS OF PURE COORDINATION THAT SCHELLING DEMONSTRATES ARE SO DIFFICULT FOR TRADITIONAL GAME THEORY TO EXPLAIN.

WHILE GRADUATE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ARE PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH PRODUCTING TEACHERS AND SCHOLARS, PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS FOCUS ON EDUCATING EFFECTIVE PRACTITIONERS. THIS DISTINCTION BECOMES SIGNIFICANT FOR MASTER IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA) PROGRAMS IMMEDIATELY AT THE POINT OF ADMISSION. WHO SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AND ON WHAT BASIS? MANY IN-CAREER STUDENTS APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY'S MPA PROGRAM TEN OR FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER GRADUATION FROM COLLEGE. OFTEN THEY HAVE ACHIEVED CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS IN THEIR CAREERS DESPITE ACADEMIC RECORDS POCKMARKED WITH LOW GRADES. THE UNIVERSITY IS THEN LEFT WITH THE TASK OF DECIDING WHETHER TO ACCEPT THESE APPARENT LATE BLOOMERS ON THE STRENGTH OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OR REJECT THEM ON THE GROUNDS THAT THEIR ANTIQUATED ACADEMIC RECORDS ARE UNSATISFACTORY AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT ON-THE-JOB SUCCESS IS AN INADEQUATE PREDICTOR OF ABILITY TO DO GRADUATE ACADEMIC WORK.