Action,interaction and inaction: post-Kantian accounts of thinking,willing, and doing in Fichte and Schopenhauer

This article features the contributions of Fichte and Schopenhauer to a philosophical account of action against the background of Kant's earlier and influential treatment of the topic. The article first presents Kant's pertinent contributions in the areas of general epistemology and metaphysics (“transcendental philosophy”), general practical philosophy (“moral philosophy”), the philosophy of law (“doctrine of right”) and ethic (“doctrine of virtues”). Then the focus is on Fichte's further original work on the issue of action in those same areas. Finally, the article turns to Schopenhauer's radical revision of the Kantian and Fichtean affirmative accounts of acting and willing through the correlated introduction of the irrational will, the self-negated will and ethical inaction.     

Relative Earnings and Depressive Symptoms among Working Parents: Gender Differences in the Effect of Relative Income on Depressive Symptoms

The relationship between income and psychological well-being is well established. Yet, most of this research is conducted at the individual level without taking into account the role played by relative earnings at the couple level. In the present study we estimate the effect of share of family income on depressive symptoms of individuals. Specifically, we examine whether within-person change in the share of family income has differential effects on the level of depressive symptoms of mothers and fathers. Using data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY79), we follow the same individuals over 4 years and analyze their data using a cross-lagged structural equation model. Controlling for net income, we find that an increase in one’s share of family income is related to an increased level of depressive symptoms among mothers and a decreased level of depressive symptoms among fathers. When looking at a subsample of stay-at-home parents, we find that a change from providing some share of the family income to stay-at-home parent status over time is related to higher level of depressive symptoms among fathers but not mothers. Furthermore, we find that egalitarian gender ideology moderates this relationship for mothers but not for fathers. We discuss potential implications of our findings to the work-family and gender literature and to counselors and therapists who specialize in treating depression.     

Potential mapping of ZnO by off-axis electron holography

Off-axis electron holography has been used to map the electric potential derived from the spontaneous polarity in a ZnO film. A wedge-shaped ZnO film, in which the holograms and the object wave were reconstructed, was used. To interpret the phase image correctly, the reconstructed amplitude image was used to obtain information on the thickness, which was then applied to eliminate the thickness effect on the phase shift. The electric potential distribution was characterized and the polarity of the ZnO film determined.     

Study on the deformation of nanocrystalline cobalt

A study was carried out on the deformation of nanocrystalline cobalt. For cold-rolled nanocrystalline cobalt, the X-ray diffraction peaks narrowed instead of broadened on deformation. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that grain size (17.8?nm on average) was not increased. The results can be explained in terms of the production and activity of vacancies and vacancy clusters.