[Vocabulary] The others known ones

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Habituellement

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I am writing an academic article.
Could you tell me whether the passage in bold is correct?
It is clear that Spencer presents capitalism as a desirable economic system, better than the other known ones.
If it is incorrect, maybe I could write "better than the other ones we know"?
 

Rover_KE

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I prefer '... better than the alternatives'.
 

Habituellement

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I prefer '... better than the alternatives'.
However, if I am not mistaken, the meaning of the sentence is then changed, because of the suppression of "known".
 

tedmc

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I don't think there is any difference if you say "better than others".
 

teechar

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However, if I am not mistaken, the meaning of the sentence is then changed, because of the suppression of "known".
Why is "known" important in that sentence? Are you alluding to some unknown (yet to be discovered) alternatives?
 

Habituellement

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Why is "known" important in that sentence? Are you alluding to some unknown (yet to be discovered) alternatives?
Yes, exactly. In my sentence, the "known" is important because the philosopher Spencer considers the economic systems that have been tried out/discovered so far.
In an "open-ended" world, it is always conceivable that, on the basis of further experiences, humankind will discover other economic systems, unknown today.
 

teechar

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Then stick with your original or use "better than the known alternatives".
 
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