Contrastivism and anti-individualism: a response to Aikin and Dabay

In this paper I clarify my argument for the claim that contrastive self-knowledge entails anti-individualism

Contrastivism and anti-individualism part II: a further response to Aikin and Dabay

In this reply paper, I defend my original claim that contrastive self-knowledge entails anti-individualism against an alleged counter-argument from Aikin and Dabay. In the process, Iprovide an explicit definition of a negatively contrasting concept in terms of counterfactual, subjective indistinguishability

Contrastive self-knowledge

In this paper, I draw on a recent account of perceptual knowledge according to which knowledge is contrastive. I extend the contrastive account of perceptual knowledge to yield a contrastive account of self-knowledge. Along the way, I develop a contrastive account of the propositional attitudes (beliefs, desires, regrets and so on) and suggest that a contrastive account of the propositional attitudes implies an anti-individualist account of propositional attitude concepts (the concepts of belief, desire, regret, and so on)

Thinking about morality

Sarah Sawyer on concepts and the objectivity of moral reasons

Concepts, conceptions and self-knowledge

Content externalism implies first, that there is a distinction between concepts and conceptions, and second, that there is a distinction between thoughts and states of mind. The implications require us to rethink the nature of self-knowledge. In this paper, I argue for the partial-representation theory of self-knowledge, according to which the self-ascription of a thought is authoritative when it is based on a conscious, occurrent thought in virtue of which it partially represents an underlying state of mind. The model of self-knowledge I provide accommodates the distinction between concepts and conceptions and the distinction between thoughts and states of mind, and it also offers a middle path between absolute epistemic security on the one hand, and scepticism about first-personal self-knowledge on the other

Is there a deductive argument for semantic externalism? Reply to Yli-Vakkuri

Juhani Yli-Vakkuri (2017) has recently argued that the Twin Earth thought experiments offered in favour of semantic externalism can be replaced by a straightforward deductive argument from premises widely accepted by both internalists and externalists alike. The deductive argument Yli-Vakkuri offers, however, depends on premises which are such that, on standard formulations of internalism, they cannot be satisfied by a single belief simultaneously; it does not therefore, constitute a proof of externalism. The aim of this paper is to explain why

Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia) in Madagascar: A Case Study of a Neglected Tropical Disease

Over 50% of Madagascar’s population is infected with intestinal or urinary schistosomiasis (Rollinson et al., 2012). The disease slowly debilitates infected persons, who are frequently children, resulting in lower productivity and reduced learning in school-age children. The disease involves a vicious cycle perpetuated by a number of environmental, psychological, and social factors. A multifaceted approach, involving mass treatment, biological control, environmental control, education, and disease surveillance, can lead to schistosomiasis control and elimination in Madagascar. This would yield many socio-economic benefits such as increased productivity, increased school attendance rates, and generally better welfare. Schistosomiasis is the most burdensome and deadly neglected tropical disease (CDC, 2011). Furthermore, it is second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease in the world (The Carter Center, 2012). Schistosomiasis is a public health problem in Madagascar and many other countries. It is treatable, curable, and preventable, and a multifaceted approach can stop the harmful impact it is having on communities

Failing to Give Enough: When Researcher Ideas About Giving Back Fall Short

This research note is part of the thematic section, Limits to Giving Back, in the special issue titled “Giving Back in Field Research,” published as Volume 10, Issue 2 in the Journal of Research Practice

SAFE PLACE: A Collaborative Sensory Integration-Based Approach to Treating Trauma

SAFE PLACE is a collaborative treatment program among occupational therapists, psychotherapists, and parents for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and complex trauma-attachment concerns. It is both a theoretical model explicating the relationship between sensory processing, disrupted attachment and complex developmental trauma concerns in children and a specific collaborative interdisciplinary sensory integration-based trauma-informed intervention program for treating these concerns. Many adopted/fostered children present with trauma-attachment concerns and SPD. SAFE PLACE provides a therapeutic framework for service providers and parents which emphasizes development of body-based regulatory and adaptive functions with co-regulation and intersubjective experiences, deepening of attachment bonds and security, and processing and healing of traumatic experiences in the context of a sensory integration intervention process. Occupational therapists providing Ayres Sensory Integration® intervention (Smith Roley, Mailloux, Miller-Kuhaneck, & Glennon, 2007) routinely address problems in self-care, sensory regulation and motor performance in children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Sensory Processing Disorder is a problem with processing and integrating sensory inputs which results in deficits in making appropriate responses to sensorimotor demands. These problems impact children’s ability to learn, be self-sufficient, and engage in meaningful lives. Sensory processing disorder not only impact the children’s lives but those of their families as well (Dunn, 1997). Occupational therapists with sensory integration training are increasingly asked to treat children with SPD who also have complex trauma and attachment disorders. Similarly, psychotherapists frequently treat children with trauma histories who also present with sensory sensitivities characteristic of SPD that appear secondary to the trauma. Knowledge of and some expertise in addressing the problems of the other’s discipline is needed for both occupational and psychotherapists in order to best meet the needs of these most complex children. The clear compatibility of sensory integration and trauma and attachment theories and interventions led Jane Koomar, PhD and Daniel Hughes, PhD to hypothesize that each intervention approach could support the other to work more effectively to help children with SPD and co-morbid complex trauma histories heal and develop effectively. This perspective suggested the need for a collaborative theoretical model and intervention program that acknowledged the necessity of regulation and discrimination of sensations, adaptation of motor demands, and regulation of emotions, affect, and behavior in order for these children to learn and grow. Koomar and Hughes subsequently developed the SAFE PLACE model and intervention program as a trauma-informed, integrative, collaborative mental health and occupational therapy intervention for children who experience both SPD symptomatology and complex trauma and attachment concerns

Occupational Health Risk Factors for Schistosomiasis: Systematic Review and Analysis

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by a parasitic flatworm which afflicts over 200 million people in the poorest regions of Africa. Carried by snails living in fresh, stagnant water, the parasite penetrates human skin upon contact, causing the victim to suffer a range of symptoms including diarrhea, blood in the urine, and eventual death. Despite its prevalence, schistosomiasis is preventable, treatable, and curable once a control program is implemented. Substantial reduction of schistosomiasis would relieve suffering and produce many socio-economic benefits, including higher productivity and higher school attendance rates. Disease transmission is directly tied to the environment, and those in certain occupations are at particularly high risk, including agricultural workers and fishermen due to direct contact with unsafe water. The objective of this study was to examine which occupations yield risk factors for acquiring schistosomiasis in Africa. Conducting a systematic review and analysis, 36 peer-reviewed studies were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline based on inclusion criteria. All relevant evidence from the systematic review concluded that certain occupations result in an increase in risk of schistosomiasis, and that a comprehensive approach to prevention is integral in community health in rural areas. Prevention programming for schistosomiasis should focus on at-risk occupations, including targeting water-resource management, irrigation systems management, and agricultural management, in order to stop the occupation-specific transmission of the disease, which leads to higher schistosomiasis rates in endemic communities