...The Science of Human Action By L. M. LACHMANN Praxeology meaning - the study of human action and conduct Praxeology is the deductive study of human action based on the fact that humans engage in purposeful behavior, as opposed to reflexive behavior like sneezing and inanimate behavior. According to adherents, with the action axiom as the starting point, it is possible to draw conclusions about human behavior that are both objective and universal. For example, the notion that humans engage in acts of choice implies that they have preferences, and this must be true for anyone who exhibits intentional behavior. The most common use of the term is in connection with the Austrian School of Economics, as established by economist Ludwig von Mises. Catallactics is the praxeological theory of the way the free market system reaches exchange ratios and prices. It aims to analyse all actions based on monetary calculation and trace the formation of prices back to the point where an agent makes his or her choices. It explains prices as they are, rather than as they "should" be. The laws of catallactics are not value judgments, but aim to be exact, objective and of universal validity. It was first used extensively by the Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises. This is Professor Mises' magnum opus.' It is a magnum opus in every sense of the word. Its majestic sweep embraces almost the whole field of economics and touches, at some point or other, on almost every social issue of...
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...“Genius,” Thomas Edison famously said, “is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” He would have found a kindred spirit in Elif Bilgin, 16, of Istanbul, Turkey, winner of the 2013 $50,000 Science in Action award, part of the third annual Google Science Fair. The award honors a project that can make a practical difference by addressing an environmental, health or resources challenge; it should be innovative, easy to put into action and reproducible in other communities. Bilgin spent two years toiling away on her project to develop a bioplastic from discarded banana peels, enduring 10 failed trials of plastics that weren’t strong enough or that decayed rapidly. She was undaunted. As she put it in her project description: “Even Thomas Edison said, ‘I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’” Finally, in her last two trials, she made plastics with the features she sought, and it did not decay. We admire her persistence, which will be help her to take advantage of another aspect of her Science in Action prize—a year’s worth of mentoring to help further her work. I like to think, too, that Edison, who used to stop by the Scientific American offices in New York City to demonstrate his latest inventions, would have approved. The ingredients to make Bilgin’s plastic are relatively benign. As she wrote in her entry materials, “it is possible to say that one could do it at home.” In her research, she learned that starch and cellulose are used elsewhere...
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...International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2013, 3(9):1952-1961 International Journal of Asian Social Science Special Issue: International Conference on Teaching and Learning in Education, 2013 journal homepage: http://www.aessweb.com/journal-detail.php?id=5007 INNOVATIONS IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AUDIT (APA) TO EMPOWER TEACHING & LEARNING: THE UNITEN EXPERIENCE Zainal Ariffin Ahmad Graduate Business School, College of Graduate Studies, UNITEN, Kajang Malaysia Norsalwati Binti Mohd Razalli Quality Management Centre,UNITEN, Kajang Malaysia ABSTRACT Institutional audit is an integral part of the quality assurance process in the Malaysian higher education to determine whether the institution is achieving its mission and goals, to identify strengths and areas of concern, and to enhance quality. One form of institutional audit is the periodic academic performance audit to determine the continuation or maintenance of programme accreditation status. In 2011, UNITEN conducted an institutional audit (Academic Performance Audit) exercise to prepare for SETARA 2012 or the Rating System for Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. UNITEN was conferred SETARA Tier 5 - Excellent in 2012 compared to Tier 4 in 2009. Based on action science approach, this paper discusses the lessons learned during the Academic Performance Audit (APA) conducted in 2011 and how they empowered the teachinglearning environment at UNITEN. It will also highlight the three innovations introduced...
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...violence, civil war, separatist ethnic and religious conflicts, and government sponsored wars) is a central concern of the 21st century. This analysis suggests a scientific strategy for reducing such violence by constructing functionally equivalent and highly effective nonviolent collective alternatives. This general approach is the heart of most effective programs of behavior change, but has not yet been used to address terrorism and other forms of collective violence. The paper briefly traces the history of effective nonviolent action, including both strategies to confront and reduce oppression as well as strategies for defending persons, peoples, and social institutions against attack. It then turns to a examination of cultural practices on which successful nonviolent actions have relied, emphasizing a scientific analysis of the behavioral dynamics involved. Both practices directed toward opposition groups and practices that maintain the commitment and action of group members are investigated. The paper concludes with an outline of a program of research for taking these analyses to deeper and more comprehensive levels. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] |Full Text | | (7686 words) | Copyright Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Fall 2003 |[Headnote] | |ABSTRACT:...
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...Statics of Rigid Bodies STATICS OF RIGID BODIES Chapter 1: Introduction Department of Engineering Sciences enter 〉〉 Statics of Rigid Bodies DEFINITION Mechanics • the study of the relationship among forces and their effects on bodies. • the science which describes and predicts the conditions for rest and motion of bodies under the action of forces. • a physical science (for it deals with physical phenomena) Prev Department of Engineering Sciences Jump to… Stop Show Next Statics of Rigid Bodies MECHANICS MECHANICS RIGID BODIES STATICS bodies at rest DYNAMICS bodies in motion DEFORMABLE BODIES INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS COMPRESSIBLE Prev Department of Engineering Sciences Jump to… Stop Show Next Statics of Rigid Bodies What is a FORCE? represents the action of one body on another that tends to change the state or state of motion of a body. may be exerted by actual contact or at a distance (e.g. gravitational and magnetic forces). characterized by its point of application, magnitude and direction. represented by a vector. Prev Department of Engineering Sciences Jump to… Stop Show Next Statics of Rigid Bodies Effects of a FORCE • development of other forces (reactions or internal forces) • deformation of the body • acceleration of the body Applied Force Prev Department of Engineering Sciences Jump to… Stop Show Next Statics of Rigid Bodies Development of other forces Applied...
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...mid-1800. Before then, it was known as the domestic economy. In the 20th century the name changed to home economics and in 1994 to family and consumer sciences. Findings on the number of teachers and student in the secondary RE education indicated that the number of girls enrolled rose to almost 50% around 1959 from the 17% before then. This paper draws both theoretical and empirical literature in an attempt to unmask how family and consumer science education has addressed healthy relationship among youths in middle and high schools. Further emphasis is on the literature gaps that exist regarding this topic. Addressing concerns and problems using RE Kerpelman et al. (151-171), asserts that family and consumer sciences education is an important field that focuses on families, work, and their interrelationships with the aim of improving lives. At high school and middle levels, family and consumer sciences education play a vital rolse in the lives of the youths. For instance, the youths are empowered to have abilities in identifying and creating alternative solutions to common everyday challenges. Under this case, the author further indicates that family consumer education enables the youths to manage the resources at their disposal thereby being able to cope with challenging situations. Additionally, family and consumer science education at middle and high school levels is vital because of its broad range of contribution in the lives of youths. In coping with the everyday challenge...
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...Introduction Science education encompasses a significant part of a child’s formal and informal education. In order to solve everyday problems, children consciously or unconsciously engage in scientific thinking and analysis of situations. This scientific approach to solving everyday problems needs to be encouraged and developed in a formal educational setting where teachers continuously change and organize curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of their children (Poon, Tan & Tan, 2009). The best environment that fosters and develops structured scientific analytical thinking is the school, where the child spends the major section of his/her day when he/she is away from home. It is within the school environment that formal learning takes place. Acceptable attitudes and values which the child inculcates are transmitted by the teacher who is specifically trained to teach at given levels. The training of the teacher in the use of the most effective methods of teaching is therefore the first and foremost important goal preceding the child’s education, especially since it has been established that teachers go on to teach science in the same way that they have been taught (Marshall & Dorward, 2000). Upon investigation, in private as well as public schools, we have been privy to two familiar methods of teaching science in the elementary and kindergarten classrooms. The two common methods are the inquiry and the direct instruction methods of teaching. The inquiry...
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...DURKHEIM to the research methodology used in social sciences” INTRODUCTION The paper mainly concerns the contributions of MARX, WEBER and DURKHEIM to the methodology in social sciences. The various methodologies in social sciences establish a connection with the societal implications which have a large impact over the society and its normative effects. Referring to the contributions by the following sociologists, all have a different and influential impact on the factors of society. The methodology of various sociologists reflects their attitude towards the society and its various customs and traditions. The following mentioned are the various methodologies adopted by sociologists in the field of social sciences. Marxist sociology emerged around late 19th/early 20th century, influenced by the thought of Karl Marx. Marx is seen as one of the most influential thinkers in early sociology, alongside thinkers such as Max Weber and Émile Durkheim. KARL MARX The theory propounded by Karl Marx is Marxism; in a nutshell it is the theory and practice of working-class emancipation. Marxism is also a method of looking at the world. One of the most important foundations of Marx's method was dialectical thought. Marx relied a lot on historical materialism and dialecticism to propound his theories in social science. Marx relied heavily on these two methods for social science research. Historical materialism starts from the realization...
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...Principles of Environmental Science Jennia McCray Env/100 June 30, 2011 Professor Elshorafa Principles of Environmental Science Environmental Science is a multidisciplinary field that combines information from many different punitive areas of study, such as biology, geography, chemistry, geology, physics, economics, sociology (mostly demography or the study of populations), cultural anthropology, natural resources, management, agriculture, engineering, law, politics, and ethics. Environmental science and nature’s environmental problems we faces are generally complex and are not as simple as the meaning portrays. The goals of environmental scientists are to try to form basic principles about how the natural world operates. They then use these principles to develop applicable solutions, mostly derived from scientific knowledge, to address environmental problems. Using scientific evaluation is the key to successfully achieving a solution to any environmental problem. Before this, you must completely understand what science is opposed to what it is not. Science is not just a body of knowledge, as some see it to be, but much rather a collection of facts about the natural world. In addition, science is also a systematic way to investigate the natural world, what we refer to as the dynamic process. Science looks to decrease the conspicuous complexity of earth to general principles, those principles help to make predictions, solve problems and create new insights. These principles...
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...One genre fits all? Whether you prefer a romance, an action or a thriller, Science Fiction seems to fit it all in but still have its own unique identity. Is this why it appeals to so many? As Reported By ReJohnson. Looking around at movie advertisements shown on billboards, bus stands and television, it’s hard to miss the growing popularity of science fiction movies and books in modern society. Though still not as popular as genres such as Action and romance, many people have found an interest and love for science fiction. Over the past decade, there have been over 300 Science Fiction movies released. Statistics show that 5 in every 10 movies released in today’s society is science fiction. Many of them hitting the top ten list and have been nominated or have won major awards (e.g. Avatar which won 3 Oscars, the Golden Globe etc.). So why does it appeal to modern day audiences? It seems that in modern society, no matter how you look at it, Science fiction is a genre that can appeal to each individuals taste making it appealing to almost anyone. Though it is mainly based around an imagined future and scientific and technological advances, directors and producers have created a scale as to how ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ the science fiction movie is. While Hard Science Fiction focuses mostly on the speculation of the future as seen in the award- winning Matrix, Soft science Fiction focuses more on the entertainment of the audience and allowing them to escape from reality as seen in the...
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...Politics a science? This is a question that always seems difficult to answer and discuss. Personally, I have been asked this question and even when I feel like I have the answer there is always another opinion from someone else on how they think it’s not a science. It’s a question we always touch in my group and after everyone has given their opinion on this topic, there never still seems to be a good legitimate answer. Politics is always grouped and said to be part of the social sciences, but should it really be classified as a social science or even a science? Politics is a controversial field itself; it also seems to have a flaw in it. From the way it’s been run by the people elected into power, to other different aspects of it. Political Science is a science but also a very different kind of science Politics is the activity that influences the policies and actions of a government, and also keeping and getting power in a government. Politics is widely regarded as part of science, or as a science itself. Politics is usually referred to as “Political Science”, which is still the same idea, Political Science is also the study of people, and why people act the way do, it’s the study of how a person’s deep philosophical beliefs affects his/her political beliefs and actions. It is a science because it observes, and experiments the government systems, it also measures the political life of the people occupying a certain country or nation. The methods applied in science e.g. observation...
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...University Abstract Carl Sagan has a way of explaining very complex scientific facts and theories on a layperson level. In demonstrating that it is possible and desirable to know the universe, Sagan fails to address what it means to really “know” the universe in his essay titled Can We Know the Universe? Reflections on a Grain of Salt. The word “know” is an action verb with both transitive and intransitive meanings. It is the intransitive form that lacks explanation. Science can explain the “how” and the “why,” but it cannot bring meaning to either. Science and faith are both required for a complete picture of the universe. To Know, or Not to Know: That is the Question I have been a student of Carl Sagan since my youth. His way of explaining very complex scientific facts and theories spoke at my level. I can still remember how he compared human civilization to the age of the universe: if the age of the universe were a 12-month calendar year, recorded human civilization would be represented as the last 10-seconds of that year. Wow! I could get my brain around that idea. This seemed to be the answer to all the science, mathematics, and English questions I had as a high school student trying to make sense of it all. Once again Carl Sagan applies his ability to bring the very complex to the level of the average junior scientist in his paper titled Can We Know The Universe? Reflections on a Grain of Salt. In his essay, he uses a single grain of salt to illustrate...
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...Is Science the only sure path to Truth? Physics is “the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. The subject matter of physics includes mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms” (Oxford Dictionaries). Till the first half of the eighteenth century, physics was a branch of natural philosophy. It “became widely used in its modern sense (i.e., excluding the life sciences, geology, and chemistry) during the second half of the eighteenth century” (Olson, 2002, p. 301). Olson (2002) explains how physics is divided into two main categories. He states that topics treated before the middle of the last decade of the nineteenth century are said to be parts of classical physics. On the other hand a group of topics that emerged after about 1895 is said to make up modern physics. Since physics is a broad area, in this essay, I specifically focus on one topic from modern physics, namely quantum physics. I will evaluate whether quantum physics can lead us to ‘Truth’. In this paper, ‘Truth’ refers to quantum events. First, I will portray how quantum events are filled with uncertainties; I will then list three answers given by physicists to explain why uncertainties are present. I will then move on to show how quantum physics offers conceptual parallels to ideas in religion. I will mainly discuss the role of holism character in quantum systems. Finally I will evaluate whether god is the reason...
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...Science relating to sociology is based upon the debate of how society should be studied. There two perspectives, Positivism and Interpretivism. Positivists such as Emile Durkheim believed that society can be studied with the same methods as all other natural sciences as Sociology is known as a social science. Interpretivists such as Weber argue that knowledge is based upon people's interpretations of things. Positivist sociologists argue that the methods used to study and research natural sciences can be used to study people within society, and that by doing this research problems within society can be resolved and social progress can be attained. Positivists believe that reality does exist and not is a figment of individuals minds which means it can objectively be studied and give factual results. Positivists prefer to use methods of research which will give them easily quantifiable results which they can then use to observe patterns and new laws within society. Positivists aim to find these patterns within society as they can then make general statements about society works. Comte believed that sociology was a science as it shared the same basics with sociology of trying to find cause and effects, and that by applying these scientific methods true objectivity would be able to attained. The view a positivist would take is that reality is not random but is made up of patterns allowing us to research it quantifiably. And that this quantifiable data would allow for sociologists...
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...the word “science”. There is no doubt that science plays a crucial role in our life. However, it seems that not everyone can distinguish science correctly from non-science and pseudo-science. The following essay will present the differences between science, pseudo-science and non-science first, and then discuss three possible responses to the question that what we should do when there is a clash between scientific explanation and non-scientific explanation. The brief discussion related to the correct non-scientific explanation will present finally. There are some differences between science, pseudo-science and non-science. The goal of science is to discover what there is in the world and explain why it is and how it is (Hammerton, 2010, p.1). Science is helpful to answer some of these questions by presenting what the cause and impacts of different actions (Hammerton, 2010, p. 3). One of the significant characters of science is the construction of theories. Scientists usually want to explain the results of observation and experiment in terms of general theory rather than simply recording the results (Okasha, 2002, p. 2). Physics, biology, geology and psychology are within the domain of science (Hammerton, 2010, p. 1). However, some questions would be better explained by philosophy rather than science, such as evaluative questions, non-empirical questions, normative questions and questions related to personal experiences (Hammerton, 2010, p. 2). Pseudo-science refers to a...
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