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Rethinking the modern and modernity with Jacob Taubes
No full textJacob Taubes' book "Occidental Eschatology" (1947) offers a unique framework for examining cultural patterns across the line often construed as separating “the religious” from the “non-religious.” This paper highlights the implications of the application of this framework for our understanding of modernity: With Taubes, the “modern” conception of history, totality and sovereignty can be traced to the emphatic distinction between “world” and “god” in the Hebrew Bible. In this perspective, “the modern” appears as a cultural element that is analytically dissociated from any particular later historical period and from any cultural or geographical context, such as “the West”. Messianic thinking appears integral to the modern rather than as a source of fundamentally opposing insights. Competing appeals to reject the world are a source of instability and violence in modernity. Further research can address how the modern is linked with other cultural elements and with institutional arrangements in different contexts
The APS approach for undiscounted quitting games
No full textCharacterizing and explicitly computing equilibria of undiscounted dynamic games have been a challenge for many years. In this paper, we study quitting games, which are stopping games where the terminal payoff does not depend on the stage of termination. We adapt the recursive approach of Abreu, Pearce, and Staccheti (1990) to characterize a certain subset of the set of subgame-perfect ε-equilibrium payoffs. Our approach is based on the novel representation of strategy profiles through absorption paths, which was developed in Ashkenazi-Golan, Krasikov, Rainer, and Solan (2024), and our characterization focuses on absorption paths in which exactly one player randomizes between quitting and continuing at any point in time. Since quitting games form a special case of both stopping games and stochastic games, our approach may be useful in studying more general classes of these games
Translating nature into risk: preliminary insights and further questions
Get PDFNature risks are a central challenge for companies and society (Dasgupta, 2021; TNFD, 2024; World Economic Forum, 2025), and a compelling area of study for scholars interested in measurement, the construction of “risk objects” (Hilgartner, 1992) and their translation into risk management action (Hardy et al., 2020). As the (fictional) vignette shows, it is difficult, often impossible, to capture the full set of trade‑offs arising from well‑intentioned decisions. What is at stake is sound data sources and measures, as well as clarity about values‑based judgment on which risks, and how much risk, companies are willing to take. This report presents preliminary findings from a study funded by the LSE Global School of Sustainability (webpage). The report explores these themes and how data availability, measurement and risk considerations can construct new objects of concern—even something as complex and multifaceted as nature—and make them amenable to managemen
On the faithful flatness of some modules arising in analysis
No full textThe notion of faithful flatness of a module over a commutative ring is studied for two R-modules M arising in functional analysis, where R is a Banach algebra and M is a Hilbert space. The following results are shown: If X is a locally compact Hausdorff topological space, and μ is a positive Radon measure on X, then L2(X,μ) is a flat L∞(X,μ) -module. Moreover: • If μ is σ -finite, then for every finitely generated, nonzero, proper ideal n of L∞(X,μ), there holds n L2(X,μ) ⊊ L2(X,μ). • If X is the union of an increasing family of Borel sets Un, n∈N, such that for each n∈N, Un is compact and μ(Un+1∖Un)>0, then L2(X,μ) is not a faithfully flat L∞(X,μ)-module. In addition, it is shown that the classical Hardy space H2 is a flat, but not a faithfully flat H∞-module, which answers a 2005 question of Alban Quadrat
Quality of anthropometric data for child nutrition monitoring in India: a comparative assessment using two rounds of the National Family Health Survey
No full textBackground: High-quality anthropometric data are critical for accurately monitoring child nutritional outcomes and informing policy decisions, yet inconsistencies in measurement and reporting across large-scale surveys continue to challenge data reliability. Method: This research assesses the quality of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-height (WHZ) z-scores based on a repeated cross-sectional analysis of two rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4, 2015–2016 and NFHS-5, 2019–2021), examining improvements, persistent gaps, and regional disparities. We have used WHO-recommended diagnostics including digit preference, age-heaping, completeness of measurements, biologically implausible values, and distributional properties of z-scores to evaluate the plausibility of anthropometric data and generate state-level rankings to compare transitions across rounds. Results: The results indicate modest national-level improvements in data quality in NFHS-5, particularly reductions in digit preference and implausible values; however, substantial inter-state variation remains, with some states demonstrating clear progress while others continue to exhibit measurement anomalies. The completeness of date of birth improved from 99.0% in NFHS-4 to 99.9% in NFHS-5, while completeness of anthropometric measurements declined from 98.5% to 96.6%. Digit preference for height decreased from 15.2% to 14.4%, and the proportion of biologically implausible HAZ values declined from 3.4% to 2.3%. However, the standard deviation of HAZ increased from 1.77 to 1.85 and that of WHZ from 1.40 to 1.50, indicating persistent measurement variability. Transitions in HAZ rankings further reveal mixed patterns of advancement and stagnation, with regional clustering of improvements more evident in certain parts of the country. Overall, while NFHS-5 reflects progress in anthropometric data quality, key challenges persist related to inconsistent adherence to measurement protocols, variable field performance, and inadequate supervisory oversight. Conclusions: Strengthening training, standardizing procedures, and reinforcing monitoring mechanisms are essential for achieving more reliable anthropometric data, thereby enhancing the accuracy of child nutrition estimates and supporting more evidence-based policy interventions in India
The promissory machine of green finance
No full textGreen finance has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite ongoing challenges. We address this puzzle by arguing that this resilience rests on a promissory legitimacy – credibility derived from future-oriented promises rather than present achievements. To advance this argument, we develop the concept of a promissory machine which produces green finance through the ordering logics of promises, themselves primarily directed at financial audiences. The machine further works to uphold the credibility of these promises through cycles of credibility work. A corollary is that green finance is constantly evolving, diversifying, and growing in complexity in ways that ultimately obscure the veracity of promissory claims. We contribute to debates on future temporalities by suggesting that the promises of green finance extend the present rather than creating possibilities for transforming it
2025 Joseph Fletcher Prize Forum: introduction to the Oxford Handbook of History and International Relations
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Historical background of the multilingual communities of the study
No full textWhen we examine diverse linguistic communities in relation to pandemics like COVID-19, it’s important to recognise the complexity of their cultural practices and identities, particularly among migrant communities that maintain ties to their historical homes. In the United Kingdom, many migrants have connections to former British colonies such as India, Kenya, and Hong Kong, while others migrate to escape war, for political reasons, or in search of a better life. Some still consider their original home to be abroad, while others, born in the United Kingdom, are descendants of migrants. This section explores questions about community members’ views on home, the impact of colonial experiences, the evolution of these communities in London, their languages, and their cultural and religious practices