Climate change policy discontinuity and its effects on Australia's national electricity market

Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM) became unstable in 2016/2017 after 20 years of consistent performance. The South Australian grid collapsed on 28 September 2016 – Australia's first black system event since 1964. Wholesale prices in the region trebled to $120+/MWh; soon after Hazelwood power station announced its exit with just 5 months’ notice. The problem spread as prices elsewhere doubled to $89/MWh from a long‐run average of $42.50. The NEM is experiencing a supply‐side crisis. Consistent with the requirement to decarbonise the system, aged coal‐fired generators are exiting but decades of climate change policy discontinuity has frustrated the entry of new plant. Long‐dated capital‐intensive asset industries like electricity supply anticipate a conventional policy cycle. What they have experienced instead is consistent with garbage can theory. Policy clarity may be emerging for only the second time in two decades. As with the NEM, its durability will depend on cooperative federalism.     

自然之性和仁义之性——程颢人性论的两重性

程颢的人性论是学界研究的难点,有多种观点并存。要正确理解程颢的人性论,需要结合他所面临的辟佛与弘扬儒学的文化背景。为了批判佛性论,他吸取告子"生之谓性"说以肯定人的自然之性。他继承并发展孟子的性善论,使其在理论上更加完善。程颢对自然之性和仁义之性皆持肯定态度。然而,自然之性和仁义之性毕竟有所不同,前者杂气禀而有善恶,后者不杂气禀而至善。未能处理好两者的关系,是程颢人性论的不足之处。     

Uber Über regulation? Regulatory change following the emergence of new technologies in the taxi market

Can emerging technologies transform not only markets, but also foster new regulatory change mechanisms? In the context of prevailing theories of regulatory change, this article explores the extent to which an interest‐based explanation can account for the regulatory responses toward emerging Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). Based on a primary cross‐city analysis of the 40 largest cities in the United States, the study found that although the existence of ex ante interest groups indeed somewhat limited the extent of ex post regulatory acceptance of TNCs, regulators seemed to prefer the newcomers over existing incumbents and approved TNCs in 77.5 percent of the examined cities, rarely pursuing harsh enforcement even when TNCs operated illegally. The research attempts to explain this intriguing phenomenon by extending the interest‐based approach to account for the key role played by “technological regulatory entrepreneurs.” The entrepreneurs bridged collective action barriers by becoming the central agent that managed, and reaped the benefits of, the collective action, by lowering the organizational costs and by disseminating information effectively and turning consumers into political campaigners, thus successfully promoting regulatory change.     

Lingua franca fever: sceptical remarks

The policy push in favour of fostering a global lingua franca has shed overtly imperialistic underpinnings and been recast, but many of the same objections can be levelled at new attempts to justify an old policy. Efforts to explain the impetus towards linguistic uniformity through rational choice theory obscure the power dynamics behind choice of language in multilingual contexts. Invoking democratic engagement as a benefit of uniformity overestimates the role of linguistic diversity as a drag on participation and ignores more important forces. A focus on equality of opportunity and social mobility through lingua franca competence as justification for the policy reveals a shallow conception of equality and underplays the long-term consequences for non-lingua franca communities were equality of opportunity for individuals to be taken seriously. Finally, seeing the justice issues that arise out of competition between languages as one of ensuring adequate compensation to the losers underscores how thin is the conception of equality animating the approach; it purchases an inadequate level of equal opportunity for individuals at the expense of inequality amongst language communities.     

Theory and the scientific basis for forensic anthropology

Forensic anthropology has long been criticized for its lack of a strong theoretical and scientific foundation. This paper addresses this problem by examining the role of theory in forensic anthropology at different hierarchical levels (high-level, middle-range, and low-level) and the relevance of various theoretical concepts (taphonomic, agency, behavioral archaeology, nonlinear systems, and methodological theories) to the interpretation of forensic contexts. Application of these theories to a case study involving the search for the WWII Goettge Patrol illustrates the explanatory power these theories offer to the interpretation of forensic events as the end product of an often complex set of environmental constraints and behavioral interactions and choices. It also emphasizes the importance of case studies in theory building and hypothesis testing. A theoretical foundation does indeed currently exist in forensic anthropology; however, a recognition and broader implementation of anthropological (archaeological) theory is warranted and will further define forensic anthropology as a scientific endeavor.     

马克思商品拜物教理论批判内涵与当代启示

生活在物质丰裕的消费社会中的人们感到深层的压抑和无力的反抗。对此,学者们从不同角度展开了理论批判与理论反思。本文从马克思主义哲学的视野出发,通过马克思商品拜物教理论批判内涵来解读当代中国社会日益突出的消费景观现象背后的深刻原因。本文认为,马克思通过商品拜物教的理论批判,揭示了劳动的商品化过程与劳动产品的货币化的过程也就是人的奴役过程和人的物化过程。理解马克思哲学中的商品拜物教理论批判内涵对克服中国当代社会存在的各种危机具有深刻的理论警醒意义和实践启示意义。     

马克思主义社会与历史理论的经济学视角——罗伯特·布伦纳教授访谈

罗伯特·布伦纳(Robert Brenner)系当代美国“经济马克思主义”学者.受法国结构主义马克思主义阿尔都塞的影响,并在英国马克思主义历史学派的直接启发下,他致力于在二战后的英美世界继续从事历史唯物主义当代重建这一传统西方马克思主义重要使命.基于此,他提出了著名的“社会财产关系理论”,引发了著名的关于社会形态过渡(主要是从封建社会向资本主义社会过渡)的“布伦纳之争”,并由此重新开启了探讨历史唯物主义的经济学维度,按照他自己或者英美世界通行的说法,就是探索马克思主义社会与历史理论的经济学视角.     

康德和黑格尔刑罚论品读

康德的刑罚论和黑格尔的刑罚论分别表达了他们的刑法思想。康德和黑格尔的刑罚论以正义为价值追求,以报应为理论主线,其理论精髓仍然有益于当今的刑法理论和刑法实践。     

主观博弈论视角下的两岸政治互信初探

本文从主观博弈论的视角指出两岸的政治互信就是我们在互为＂他者＂的情境下,互相理解,然后形成共同理解。通过对政治互信演进轨迹的历史分析,梳理出政治互信的逻辑起点、关键节点和路径依赖机制。最后对增进政治互信提出一种现实建构,即一种公共秩序和集体行动逻辑的达成,以及制度创新和文化实践的促动。     

“中国特色社会主义理论与实践”课教学创新探讨

新形势对《中国特色社会主义理论与实践》课程教学提出了新要求。开展以"民主开放,求实创新"为特征的教学改革主要内容有:树立"以生为本"的教学新理念;坚守主阵地,创新教学内容;重视能力训练,创新方法手段等;在教学创新中,应着重把握几对辩证关系,解决一些关键问题。