title: It's a jungle out there: Presentism, surrogate entities and Meinongian ontology

authors: Young, Benjamin David

subjects: Philosophy of time

abstract: Suppose that presentism accepts: (1) that only present objects exist; (2) that truth supervenes on being; and (3) that there are true propositions about the past. If past objects do not exist and truth supervenes on being, then no truth-maker exists to make a past-tense proposition true. There seems to be no way for the presentist to accept all three claims. Call this the ‘central problem’. In response to the central problem, some presentists have recommended that presently existing surrogate entities, such as Lucretian properties or thisnesses, stand in place for the missing truth-makers. Thus, a past-tense proposition has as its truth-maker a presently existing surrogate. This resolves the central problem for the presentist because surrogates will act as the truth-maker of past-tense propositions and will exclude any reference to past non-existent entities. Whilst I do not want to challenge the introduction of surrogate entities into the presentist’s universe, I would like to consider a consequence such an introduction has on the presentist’s ontology. If the presentist admits surrogate entities into their ontology, then they are ontologically committed to something that stands in place for non-existent wholly past objects; something that populates an alternative mode of being. Moreover, I show how problematic it is for the presentist to conflate once-actual objects, such as Julius Caesar, with never-actual objects, such as unicorns, and, thereby, force the presentist to admit non-existent objects into their ontology by distinguishing between the modes of nonbeing that these different kinds of objects occupy. To maintain a commitment to (1)-(3), the presentist must be prepared to accept a bloated Meinongian ontology, a consequence that they may find very unpalatable.

text: It's a jungle out there: Presentism, surrogate entities and Meinongian ontology Suppose that presentism accepts: (1) that only present objects exist; (2) that truth supervenes on being; and (3) that there are true propositions about the past. If past objects do not exist and truth supervenes on being, then no truth-maker exists to make a past-tense proposition true. There seems to be no way for the presentist to accept all three claims. Call this the ‘central problem’. In response to the central problem, some presentists have recommended that presently existing surrogate entities, such as Lucretian properties or thisnesses, stand in place for the missing truth-makers. Thus, a past-tense proposition has as its truth-maker a presently existing surrogate. This resolves the central problem for the presentist because surrogates will act as the truth-maker of past-tense propositions and will exclude any reference to past non-existent entities. Whilst I do not want to challenge the introduction of surrogate entities into the presentist’s universe, I would like to consider a consequence such an introduction has on the presentist’s ontology. If the presentist admits surrogate entities into their ontology, then they are ontologically committed to something that stands in place for non-existent wholly past objects; something that populates an alternative mode of being. Moreover, I show how problematic it is for the presentist to conflate once-actual objects, such as Julius Caesar, with never-actual objects, such as unicorns, and, thereby, force the presentist to admit non-existent objects into their ontology by distinguishing between the modes of nonbeing that these different kinds of objects occupy. To maintain a commitment to (1)-(3), the presentist must be prepared to accept a bloated Meinongian ontology, a consequence that they may find very unpalatable.

year: 2019

title: Internal Migration in Tonga, 2001 - 2011: A review of Migrant Flows and Characteristics

authors: Lolohea, Sione Foiakau

subjects: Internal Migration

abstract: This thesis examines Tonga’s internal migration between 2001 and 2011. Firstly, it provides an analysis of Tonga’s internal migration during that period and secondly it establishes whether the ‘drift south’ of Tonga’s population that was found in the 1970s is still the dominant flow.
 The Tonga Censuses of Population and Housing in 2006 and 2011 are the sources of data for the study. The analysis is presented in two parts: the spatial characteristics of Tonga’s internal migration between 2001 and 2006 and between 2006 and 2011, and the demographic characteristics of migrants during the same two periods. The spatial analysis explores four patterns of migration with reference to the major administrative divisions in Tonga:  within and between districts, within and between divisions, rural-urban migration, and migration between the Northern islands and Tongatapu to the south (the ‘drift south’).  Five demographic characteristics: - age and sex, marital status, education and qualifications, and occupation - are examined for migrants and non-migrants.
The analysis of internal migration in this thesis is the first substantive assessment of internal migration in Tonga for many years.  There has been a much stronger focus on international migration than internal migration in the Pacific region over the past two decades.  The findings from the study are important in the context of an on-going debate about the scale and pace of urbanisation in Pacific countries.  The research finds that there has been considerable stability in the patterns of population movement between the different administrative units in Tonga and that while urbanisation of the population continues, some of the major demographic changes linked with internal migration are occurring in rural Tongatapu.

text: Internal Migration in Tonga, 2001 - 2011: A review of Migrant Flows and Characteristics This thesis examines Tonga’s internal migration between 2001 and 2011. Firstly, it provides an analysis of Tonga’s internal migration during that period and secondly it establishes whether the ‘drift south’ of Tonga’s population that was found in the 1970s is still the dominant flow.
 The Tonga Censuses of Population and Housing in 2006 and 2011 are the sources of data for the study. The analysis is presented in two parts: the spatial characteristics of Tonga’s internal migration between 2001 and 2006 and between 2006 and 2011, and the demographic characteristics of migrants during the same two periods. The spatial analysis explores four patterns of migration with reference to the major administrative divisions in Tonga:  within and between districts, within and between divisions, rural-urban migration, and migration between the Northern islands and Tongatapu to the south (the ‘drift south’).  Five demographic characteristics: - age and sex, marital status, education and qualifications, and occupation - are examined for migrants and non-migrants.
The analysis of internal migration in this thesis is the first substantive assessment of internal migration in Tonga for many years.  There has been a much stronger focus on international migration than internal migration in the Pacific region over the past two decades.  The findings from the study are important in the context of an on-going debate about the scale and pace of urbanisation in Pacific countries.  The research finds that there has been considerable stability in the patterns of population movement between the different administrative units in Tonga and that while urbanisation of the population continues, some of the major demographic changes linked with internal migration are occurring in rural Tongatapu.

year: 2016

title: Te Mātaiaho as curricular justice?

authors: Shafer, Derek

abstract: Te Mātaiaho produces a version of curricular justice which aims to give effect to Te Tiriti and address long-standing inequities in education in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examine Te Mātaiaho’s vision for subject English and its construction of students’ identities as fundamental to a curriculum that advances both bicultural nationhood and just outcomes for all students. We draw on Raewyn Connell’s (2010) model of curricular justice, and Nancy Fraser's (2017) notion of progressive neoliberalism to explore the opportunities and implications for subject English within Te Mātaiaho's vision. How might these frameworks for justice help to critique the development of educational policy and support the implementation of Te Mātaiaho's vision for biculturalnationhood and just outcomes for all students.

text: Te Mātaiaho as curricular justice? Te Mātaiaho produces a version of curricular justice which aims to give effect to Te Tiriti and address long-standing inequities in education in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examine Te Mātaiaho’s vision for subject English and its construction of students’ identities as fundamental to a curriculum that advances both bicultural nationhood and just outcomes for all students. We draw on Raewyn Connell’s (2010) model of curricular justice, and Nancy Fraser's (2017) notion of progressive neoliberalism to explore the opportunities and implications for subject English within Te Mātaiaho's vision. How might these frameworks for justice help to critique the development of educational policy and support the implementation of Te Mātaiaho's vision for biculturalnationhood and just outcomes for all students.

year: 2023-11-22