Smith and Rousseau on envy in commercial societies

Abstract

Several works emphasise the similarities between Rousseau and Smith's analysis of self-interest. We will show, along the lines of Le Jalle, that these similarities end on a divergent appreciation of the importance of envy in commercial societies for, contrary to Rousseau, Smith did not consider envy to be a major threat in commercial societies. Part 1 presents their quite similar definitions of envy based on three characteristics: envy comes from a disadvantageous comparison with others; it is painful and malevolent. Part 2, then, studies their moral psychology, or the way they understand the relationship between sympathy and pity on the one hand, and comparison and envy on the other. Here, we identify significant differences between our two philosophers which might explain why they have opposing views on the predominance of envy in commercial societies and on the issue of inequalities of wealth as we show in Part 3. Rousseau thinks that envy increases with wealth and inequality and thus pervades commercial societies, while Smith sees envy as the exception rather than the rule, and, moreover, does not provide a historical genesis for envy. For Smith, it is emulation rather than envy which is the driving force of the progress of society.     

The meta-crisis of secular capitalism

The current global economic crisis concerns the way in which contemporary capitalism has turned to financialisation as a double cure for both a falling rate of profit and a deficiency of demand. Although this turning is by no means unprecedented, policies of financialisation have depressed demand (in part as a result of the long-term stagnation of average wages) while at the same time not proving adequate to restore profits and growth. This paper argues that the current crisis is less the ‘normal’ one that has to do with a constitutive need to balance growth of abstract wealth with demand for concrete commodities. Rather, it marks a meta-crisis of capitalism that is to do with the difficulties of sustaining abstract growth as such. This meta-crisis is the tendency at once to abstract from the real economy of productive activities and to reduce everything to its bare materiality. By contrast with a market economy that binds material value to symbolic meaning, a capitalist economy tends to separate matter from symbol and reduce materiality to calculable numbers representing ‘wealth’. Such a conception of wealth rests on the aggregation of abstract numbers that cuts out all the relational goods and the ‘commons’ on which shared prosperity depends.     

城市科学20年的发展历程--祝贺中国城市科学研究会成立20周年

回顾北京市城市科学研究会的发展历程,分为多学科协同研究城市问题阶段;城市发展多学科综合研究阶段;城市发展综合研究向重点领域开展阶段.概括了北京城科会的主要学术成果.     

Adäquate Wundauflagen

Wundumgebung und Wundauflagen - Die wundumgebende Haut, sofern sie intakt ist, hat eigentlich keinen direkten Einfluss auf die Wundheilung, da aber die Wundauflagen oder der Sekund?rverband auf der wundumgebenden Haut fixiert wird, ist die Beurteilung und Schutz dieser Hautareale für die Wundheilung von Bedeutung.     

Service Fairness,Consumption Emotions,Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intentions: The Experience of Chinese Heritage Tourists

Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory and the justice theory from the marketing and tourism literature, this study attempts to illuminate the embedded impact of tourist experience on overall satisfaction and behavioral intentions in a cognitive-affective-behavioral framework. The findings suggest that service fairness is an antecedent of consumption emotions (positive and negative) that, in turn, influence satisfaction and behavioral intentions in the context of Chinese natural heritage tourism. Notably, the results highlight the mediating role of tourists’ consumption emotions. This article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications to heritage tourism researchers and managers.     

两种调质通风方法之比较

对即将出库的粮食进行调质机械通风。主要是为了增加粮食水分。补偿粮食入库时因水分较高而进行的降水机械通风或粮食储存期间水分自然减量而造成的粮食数量损耗。事实证明。因上述原因造成的粮食水分减量是比较严重的。中央储备粮临沂直属库沂南分库2001年和2002年入库的粮食．经过34a的保管，出库时水分平均下降1％-1．5％。如果不进行调质通风。势必会造成巨大的经济损失。鉴于这种情况。中央储备粮临沂直属库沂南分库分别于2004年和2005年对两口仓所储小麦进行了利用大气条件进行调质通风和利用加湿器进行调质通风两种方法的调质通风试验，自我探索，自我实践，在试验取得一定成效的基础上，也积累了一点经验。现结合试验情况，将两种调质通风方法的应用效果进行对比。对两者的特点和发展前景进行分析预测。     

基于Binary-SADT的可疑金融交易识别方法

针对目前使用静态数据挖掘技术识别可疑金融交易所面临的监测时效性低、数据覆盖面不全的问题,通过分析可疑金融交易的特征,本文提出了基于流数据分类挖掘的可疑金融交易识别算法,即Binary-SADT算法。SADT算法能够动态解决数据流挖掘中的概念漂移,Binary-SADT在SADT的基础上利用二叉排序树处理金融交易数据流中的连续属性,构建并及时更新识别可疑金融交易的分类模型。理论分析和实验结果表明该算法所构建的分类模型符合业内专家总结的可疑金融交易特征,验证了该算法的可行性和有效性。     

The generation of doctorates and their feedback into higher education

The dynamic effects of alternative manpower policies and programs can be “pretested” in a computer based simulation. It is generally recognized that the production of Doctorates depends to a large degree on the Doctorate-holding faculty. Because the doctorate holders are in great demand by the other sectors of the economy, a circular or a “feedback” situation exists. The problem is further complicated by the availability of developed student talent and by various socioeconomic conditions existing at different periods of time within two or three decades prior to the time a study is made.

This paper attempts to develop a conceptual and a mathematical model to study the production of Doctorates, Masters' and Baccalaureate degrees and their feedback into higher education. The model consisting of over 200 non-linear difference equations is programmed for computer simulation and validation against historical data. Currently simulation is used to describe what has happened in the past. Once this phase is accomplished, the model can be used to prescribe what will happen in the future with a fair level of confidence.     

价值工程在加氢反应器筒节锻造中的应用

运用价值工程原理, 改进曾获国家科技进步一等奖的锻焊结构加氢反应器的筒节锻造工艺, 创新后的筒节锻造工艺又应用在其他两台类似的加氢反应器上,总计降低生产成本１７００ 余万元。     

河南机专的改革实践与价值工程

价值工程在河南省机电行业中推广应用,曾取得明显的经济效益.价值工程是实现事物优化的工具.我校在改革的实践中运用价值工程的思想和原则,提高办学功能,降低办学成本,使学校获得了发展,增强了活力.