102nd Session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Title: The Eternal Spring 

For the 102nd session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance, to be held from 6 to 8pm tonight, Friday March 30th 2012, in room 501, University of Westminster campus, we will: (1) collect the LLM dissertation titles from students and (2) examine the causes of the perrenial Great War (making peace between our genetics and our genuine spiritual being) and the ongoing Great Depression (making war between superficial consumerism and our lives). 

As a philosophy student studying Plato and Aristotle in Princeton during the Vietnam War, it became obvious to me that a lot of my very brilliant colleagues who'd received princely educations believing that they would become very rich (millionaire-billionaires adjusting for inflation), movie stars, rock stars and presidents, would become relatively average and sedate, if not sedated, and those who did not fall under medication, would become very pissed off, having squandered their God-given talents chasing the meaninglessness of empty suits.

Today, the Arab spring is just one of the global blooms of corrupt political-economic systems where holier than thou public servants have hundreds of billions of dollars of personal wealth while their poor citizen have not even one ounce of zakat, and as the political elite have continuously "bailed out" the bankers in the US and Europe, we have immense bubbles that can be resolved only in terms of debt forgiveness (where bankers take the hit) or more fascistic totalitarianism (where the good taxpaying citizens are debt enslaved). To clarify these choices, we have some beautifully illustrated lectures by David McWilliams of Punk Economics via Zerohedge:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/how-europe-has-evolved-democracy-bankocracy-and-why-austerity-will-lead-chaos

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/europes-cash-trash-ltro-scam-and-indentured-servitude-citizenry

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/liquidity-and-false-recovery

Enjoy your spring wherever you are and be prepared for another kind of spring coming soon to your door.

Ciao
Joe

102nd Session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

101st session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Title: Rules of Engagement in the Evil Empire

Date: March 23, 2012
Time: 6 to 8pm
Venue: University of Westminster, Regent Campus, Room 516 or 501

For the 101st session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance, we will continue on the nerve touched by Greg Smith's letter of resignation from Goldman Sachs (see note to the 100th session) and generalise if not ascend to the mythological vibrancy of the Galactic Empire in our first reading:

[ ] http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5007&Itemid=81

Playful parody is sometimes better than mean sarcasm in burying messages deep inside the subconscious because the obvious and just symmetry arguments are made more palatable by a touch of charm, wit and pleasure. And in today's world where members of so-called religious groups have decided to take offence at any statement which shows how logically stupid they are, it is important for self-preservation to cloak the sarcasm with wit, charm and a harmless laugh. Otherwise, well, you can be shot dead for being a member of an "out-group" relative to the murderer's "in-group". The cost of freedom of speech is now something like: (1) beheading; (2) internment; (3) banishment. In the old philosophical days, a cup of hemlock and a quiet receding into unconsciousness was a dignified punishment. Anyone living in a so-called civilisation should stop kidding themselves and measure their rights and duties against the freedoms set out by Plato's Republic (especially books 8 through 10) and Plato's Laws. 

The second reading will be a review of Plato's concept of "social comity" as a basis for measuring dare I say it, the maximum utility, of any particular regulation. Please note the wide variance of legal instruments available, from education and training which are Plato's normal solution to all social problems to Draconian punishments. The excerpts will come from Books I, II and III of 

[ ] Plato's Laws 
http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/laws.html

If we have time, we will continue our dissection of the (im)morals of the presumptive immortals (in- versus out-group analysis) of investment banking socio-pathology. For the journalistic view, see:

[ ] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-06/goldman-secret-greece-loan-shows-two-sinners-as-client-unravels.html
which gives us some detail on how Goldman Sachs sucked the living soul out of Greece in a fairly simple "debt" transaction.

For the hub-bub in the legal realm of the Empire, where Goldman Sachs appears to be losing, see:

[ ] Complaint: http://securities.stanford.edu/1045/GSC10_01/201124_r01c_10CV07497.pdf

[ ] Judge Victor Marrero's Decision to Deny Motion to Dismiss
http://newsandinsight.thomsonreuters.com/uploadedFiles/Reuters_Content/2012/03_-_March/Dodona_I_v_Goldman_Sachs.pdf

After tonight's class, we'll go to a nearby cafe restaurant around Oxford Circus and gossip about what's happening in Syria, Iran, Israel, Bhutan, and so on. Last Friday, I had a would be Jew and a very committed Syrian discuss in a very affable manner what's really going on in their minds and hearts.

ciao
joe

101st session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

69th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Dear All,

Tonight, in the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance (6-8pm, Room 5.16, 309 Regent Street, University of Westminster), Joe will introduce the argument of "superposition" from quantum mechanics and compare it to certain arguments re the impossibility of defining the reality of the One made by Plato's Parmenides . The "superposition" argument may be the important and the only argument worth understanding because it underpins our best and yet uncontroverted theory of reality--namely quantum mechanics. So, if we understand at least the FORM of the argument--much of which comes from Bell's Inequalities we may be able say something about the nature of financial and legal arguments.
Form--as in Aristotle's formal cause-- is everything in the computer driven programmatic age.

For flavour and substance, see David Albert's mesmeric "Quantum Mechanics and Experience" 1992. 26 centuries of philosophy!


Afterwards at around 8pm we will move the heat of the discussion in the bars/restaurants in the area.

See you tonight,

Rezi and Joe

69th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

67th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Dear All,

tomorrow night at the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance (room 5.16, 309 Regent Street, University of Westminster, 6-8pm), we will continue reading Plato's Parminedes--"like and unlike"--and love. Yes, love not in the mass produced prono sense but in the valentine sense of a little red heart drawn with crayons on a card and delivered in secret. 

Valentine's Ball after in Jimmy Hendrix's original hall. Drinks, dance and people in red.

Regards,

Rezi & Joe

67th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

66th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Dear All, 

After 65 sessions of philosophy, I guess we can start again, that is, really BEGIN with the purest of the pure of philosophical works, Plato’s Parminedes. For a comprehensive summary, see: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-parmenides/ and Jowett translation, see:http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/parmenides.html

If you are a PhD candidate and you are looking for an argument, or wondering how we can understand anything entirely, then you might try reading the Parminedes. I’ve tried many times to read this dialogue straight through but it gives me a throbbing headache within a few pages. I understand completely Parminedes’ (the old great philosopher in the dialogue) reluctance to engage in dialectic because as an old man, he thought it was just too exhausting a mental exercise.

But aside from the mental gymnastics—and it is, of all the Platonic dialogues except perhaps the Theaetetus—the toughest to comprehend, it provides a climb up a mountain with sheer drops into the abyss, free climbs to peaks of consciousness which are few and far between in the history of world literature.

One way philosophers have reacted to the Parminedes was to build the neo-Platonists mystery schools of the second century AD – see for example, Plotinus’ eternal Enneads.

But modern philosophers have usually tried to evade the Parminedes or have found solace in attempting to negate his most profound premises. Example, Badiou claims that his philosophy in Being & Event is an extension of Parminedes by negating Parminedes’ central position which is:
That no argument whatsoever can define the One (and for this reason, the One exists) …kinda.

If this sounds like no way to argue for the truth, then you probably have the right attitude to enter the Parminedes. All great philosophers in the Western tradition have bowed to the Parminedes. This session is to try to find out why.

Afterwards we will head to a nice place in the area for tasty food and drinks.

Regards,

Joe


Ps.: The event will take place at the usual time from 6-8pm in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street, University of Westminster. 


Rezarte Vukatana
Attorney, LLM and PhD Candidate

London, UK
Mobile: +44(0)7861789665
Email 1: rezartavukatana@gmail.com

Email 2: rezarte.vukatana@westminster.ac.uk

66th Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

61st Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Dear All,

The 61st Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance (Friday, 5 Nov, 6-8pm, room 5.17, 309 Regent Street) will be devoted to:

Overcoming Information Asymmetry in Law and Finance

with simple illustrations from entrepreneurial business plans to more complex examples from securities prospectuses.  

A very sophisticated use of information asymmetry theory can be found in http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/ifdp/2010/1010/ifdp1010.pdf (Nov. 2010) where Beltram & Thomas argue that information asymmetry alone is sufficient to explain the credit crisis and to provide a criterion for judging the potential success or failure of proposed regulatory solutions to the credit crisis. Joe recommends all Corporate Finance Law and International Banking Law students read the article since it provides a particularly good review of the recent scholarly literature and shows how information asymmetry may be used in arguendo to reach surprisingly general results.  The article was spotted by Edmond Curtin. Many thanks, Edmond.

As part of our philosophical investigation we shall ask, "What are the assumptions underlying information asymmetry?"  One possible answer comes from the concept of "mutuality of information" based on the symmetric correlation of probabilities between information-communication systems. [See, Seth Lloyd (1996) “Causal Asymmetry from Statistics” in Physical Origins of Time Asymmetry edited by J.J. Halliwell, J. Perez-Mercader, and W.H. Zurek, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.] We will try to elucidate mutuality of information in relation to social phenomena and legal systems.  For example, the goal of Plato’s Laws was to attain “social amity" which could not be had unless there was a mutuality of information at every level of society.  [See, Plato's Laws, Book I.]

In class readings of Aristotle's Art of Rhetoric will continue on the forensic, epidetic and deliberate forms of enthymemes (available a http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/rhetoric.html).

Afterwards if we feel for pan-Asian food and good company please join us for a nice dinner at Wagamama at 101a Wigmore Street.  Please RSPV so that we can arrange for reservations.

Regards,

Rezi & Joe

61st Session of Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 56th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

We are keen and delighted to announce that the 56th session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance will take place on Friday 1 October 2010, from 6.00 to 8.00pm, in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster).

To get us back in the mood of philosophizing about the nature of laws we will read something classical (Plato's Laws or Aristotle's Rhetoric) and develop quite independently what might be called "A Hierarchy of Algebras for Legal Analysis". Joe will set out how Hohfeld's schema of legal relations, i.e., jural opposites and jural correlatives of rights, privileges, power and immunity, can be more simply understood in terms of Category Theory.

Category Theory, born about 60 years ago is now firmly embedded in the way we think about modern algebras – it is an extremely superficial theory that can be applied to practically anything –computing networks, quarks, boxing, dish stacking menus, flights of birds, and now, hopefully, legal theory and applications.

Hohfeld in the early part of the 20th century purported to have established an "analytical jurisprudence" that could be used to unravel the mysteries of any legal problem by showing how genuinely complex any legal relation is in terms of jural opposites and correlatives. This schema has always been quite difficult to apply, but with a bit of practice, can be used to resolve many so-called problems in the interpretation of laws – or, in the so-called "practice of law".

Joe will propose to simplify Hohfeld's "field equations" into a much more compact framework, making use of monoids and the articles of faith of Category Theory. The hypothesis is that if we can show how Hohfeld's legal relations are a category, then wherever Hohfeld's analysis applies, we also have a category. Thus, this sort of legal analysis would get everything else that Category Theory has to offer for free! Further, we would have a precise way of speaking about the structure of laws as fundamental conceptions of mathematics. This sounds like a conceptual breakthrough... At this level of abstraction, fundamental conceptions of law (which is the very title and aim of Hohfeld's work) are equivalent to fundamental conceptions of mathematics – which is the title to high school level text on Category Theory. How weird and wonderful if the implied isomorphism is actually the case!

We shall consequently test the application of Category Theory to our traditional banqueting session at Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB), from 8pm onwards.

See you on Friday!
Joe, Rezarte and Laura

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 56th Weekly Meeting

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 39th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

On Friday 4th December the 39th Session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance will focus on:

(1) the Curie (Pierre) Principle of Symmetry which underpins all modern scientific theories--an important step in our ever continuous search for the meanings of symmetry; and

(2) readings from Plato's Meno, where Socrates "demonstrates" how the esoteric knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem (for Pythagoras created a cult of secret knowledge) can be drawn out of an uneducated slave boy.

Note: the concepts of learning, education, knowledge and understanding for Plato are deeply philosophical--that is, they are entirely open to inspection from the beginning to the end of life; that they are linked to how we view and conduct our life every day, and possibly moment to moment, how they affect and effect our judgments about everything around us. If it is genuinely possible to "deduct" truths from ignorance, then it may be possible, although not assured, to discover the good and values which make our lives worthwhile living.

Such philosophical (self) examination will take place as usual from 6 to 8pm, in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster). At 8.00pm we’ll head to Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB).

We hereby anticipate – with some eagerness – that the 40th Session will be extraordinarily hosted by Professor John Flood at his house in Marylebone. Details to come.

See you tomorrow!!

Joe and Laura

PS: Some interesting reading on contemporary events of law and finance: The Oil Drum (Discussions about Energy and Our Future) | Dubai's Debt Troubles: Beginning of the Next Leg Down? www.theoildrum.com/node/6000, 28 Nov 2009. Tags: debt unwind, Dubai, Dubai world, gold, oil prices.

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 39th Weekly Meeting

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 38th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

On Friday 20th November 2009, from 6 to 8pm, in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster), it’s time for the 38th session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance.

It’s time for apologies.

In Plato’s Apology, Socrates defends himself against the charges of being a man "who corrupted the young, refused to worship the gods, and created new deities". The Apology is brief and yet contains the essential taste of all the ironic wit of an enlightened being; it is irreverence of Monty Python and the eloquence of Don Quixote – one wonders how this could ever be the basis of serious philosophical discussion it is so damned funny – and it is also oddly funny that whilst it is one the best of the so-called Platonic dialogues, it is actually an extreme form of Socratic Monologue – a lovable and irascible soliloquy. Is this the perfect portrait of the wise man or the wiseacre in court? One isn't quite sure who Socrates is addressing – his accusers and judges or posterity? Joe thinks he addresses everyone directly with absolutely no apology.

One thing is sure, I add: Socrates’ apology was totally unsuccessful in court.

What function and upshot for today’s apologies of Goldman Sachs for "its role in the financial crisis"? At a corporate conference in New York, Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman’s chief executive told that the bank regretted taking part in the cheap credit boom that fuelled the pre-crisis bubble. “We participated in things that were clearly wrong and have reason to regret,” Mr Blankfein said. “We apologise.”

Mr Blankfein spoke hours before Goldman revealed plans to invest $500m - or about 2.3 per cent of its estimated bonus and salary pool for 2009 – over five years on business education, technical assistance and venture capital to help 10,000 small businesses across the US. See http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/782afd66-d3bd-11de-8caf-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html?catid=2&SID=google

We will finally convene at Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB) at 8.00pm.

See you on Friday!

Joe and Laura

PS I look forward to hear from you about what you wish to present at the seminars, l.niada@my.westminster.ac.uk

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 38th Weekly Meeting

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 36th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

Follows a synopsis for the sumptuously philosophical 36th session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance, which will take place on Friday 6 November 2009 in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster).

The time will be 6.00-8.00pm (or sort of….)

There will be some more reading from Plato’s Timaeus and the subject of scientific explanation will be re-introduced with Poincare's famous 1898 essay, "La Mesure du Temps" (The Measure of Time). Basically, Poincare's argument anticipated Einstein's special relativity by at least seven years. The link from physics to legal theory is through what the Buddhist Nagarjuna (200 AD) called conventionalism and what modern physicists call "gauge theory". Both are symmetry arguments, one in high-powered physics and the other in sophisticated legal reasoning.

As a pre-sessional object of contemplation consider the observed fact that: there is no objective sense in which we can say how long an hour is yesterday and today without further conventional concessions. We have no way to measure time objectively except through arbitrary convention. Poincare at the time of his essay wanted the world to use a 240 degree circle.

If the measure of time is merely conventional, does this tell us anything about the conventionality (read here, "invariant relativity") of law? And how the heck does the ancient Timaeus have anything to do with this?

Joe is also keen to re-present with some corrections the 4-fold (2 x 2 matrix) De Rerum Natura argument of John Scotus Erigena (800 AD).

Finally, some YouTube reference: on YouTube you can find an excellent (elegantly eloquent) debate between Father Copleston, the great historian of philosophy and true believer, and Bertrand Russell, the agnostic. Recommended for fans of the ontological argument for the existence of God.

At 8.00pm (…) the class will move to Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB).

Enjoy!

Joe and Laura

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 36th Weekly Meeting

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 35th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

For the 35th session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance, on Friday 30 October 2009, from 6 to 8pm, in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster), prepare to philosophy full blown.

I shall not disturb Joe’s eloquent – if not intuitive – formulation:

"Who's read the Timeus? How did the universe begin (cosmogony)? What is our best scientific explanation? Plato tried to give us his best shot but today we would say he failed. But did he? Unlike the standard physics of today which is at least 122 magnitudes off the mark, when it comes to conceited assurance, Plato had none. Plato would say no one knows ultimately why and only God knows. Much of the mystery we now feel before the details of scientific discoveries, no doubt Plato would welcome. He posited the ontology of absolute unknowability as the undifferentiated, the primordial or the sacredly unsayable, and provided us with the perfect forms of geometry which must, in his view, imbue the entire universe--for these perfect geometric forms were invariant to any place and time in the universe. And these perfect forms come about only because we think them. Where do they exist? How do they exist? And besides geometry, is it possible for there to be a perfect morality? Does truth exist only because we think it, or does truth require us to use the tools of perfect thought to move inside her realms? For legal theorists who have yet to read the Timeus, they are in for a big surprise because it is argued that the urge of all theories comes from the Demiurge. We need to explain away the darkness by seeing the stars as holes in the floor of heaven. And when Plato knows he cannot explain why, he seeds his ignorance with lapses of rhapsodic (highest of the high) mystic poetry. What more can you possibly want? Scientific explanation caught in the act of mad creation. We shall read the Timeus and take in its scientific and mystic charms."

We will be at Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB) at 8.00pm.

See you on Friday!

Joe and Laura

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 35th Weekly Meeting

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 34th Weekly Meeting

Dear all

At the 34^th session of the Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance, on Friday 23 October 2009, from 6 to 8pm, in room 5.16, 309 Regent Street (University of Westminster), we will go back to Plato.

We will do readings out of the Phaedrus and examine the three great arguments against writing. For students and teachers who believe in the value of "reading and writing", these arguments show why reading and writing are weaknesses. This may be a good antidote to the pretensions of scholars and the critical limits of scholarship.

We will consequently turn from the graphics of reading and writing to the image of symmetry. Joe will talk about Joe Rosen's definition of symmetry from his book entitled Symmetry Rules (2008). Symmetry is two-step dance through the Universe: (1) a relation with the possibility of change and (2) the immunity of some aspect of that relation from change. Apparently, determinism is elegant and free will is awkward in symmetry terms.

The last stage shall always be Vapiano (19-21 Great Portland Street, W1W 8QB).

See you on Friday!

Joe and Laura

Philosophical Foundations of Law and Finance - 34th Weekly Meeting