An Epistemic Non-Consequentialism

Despite the recent backlash against epistemic consequentialism, an explicit systematic alternative has yet to emerge. This paper articulates and defends a novel alternative, Epistemic Kantianism, which rests on a requirement of respect for the truth. §1 tackles some preliminaries concerning the proper formulation of the epistemic consequentialism / non-consequentialism divide, explains where Epistemic Kantianism falls in the dialectical landscape, and shows how it can capture what seems attractive about epistemic consequentialism while yielding predictions that are harder for the latter to secure in a principled way. §2 presents Epistemic Kantianism. §3 argues that it is uniquely poised to satisfy the desiderata set out in §1 on an ideal theory of epistemic justification. §4 gives three further arguments, suggesting that it (i) best explains the objective normative significance of the subject's perspective in epistemology, (ii) follows from the kind of axiology needed to solve the swamping problem together with modest assumptions about the relation between the evaluative and the deontic, and (iii) illuminates certain asymmetries in epistemic value and obligation. §5 takes stock and reassesses the score in the debate

Reliabilism without Epistemic Consequentialism

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, EarlyView

Respect and the reality of apparent reasons

Rationality requires us to respond to apparent normative reasons. Given the independence of appearance and reality, why think that apparent normative reasons necessarily provide real normative reasons? And if they do not, why think that mistakes of rationality are necessarily real mistakes? This paper gives a novel answer to these questions. I argue first that in the moral domain, there are objective duties of respect that we violate whenever we do what appears to violate our first-order duties. The existence of these duties of respect, I argue, ensures that apparent moral reasons are exceptions to the independence of appearance and reality. I then extend these arguments to the domain of overall reason. Just as there are objective duties of respect for moral reasons that explain moral blameworthiness, so there are objective duties of respect for reasons that explain blameworthiness in the court of overall reason. The existence of these duties ensures that apparent reasons are exceptions to the independence of appearance and reality

Riffle Beetles of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Dryopidae, Elmidae, Lutrochidae, Psephenidae) With Notes on Distribution, Habitat, and Identification

Twenty-four species of Elmidae, three species of Psephenidae, two species of Dryopidae, and one species of Lutrochidae were represented among 33,351 riffle beetles that were identified from Wisconsin. Almost all were found in streams, but some inhabited wave-swept lake margins and spring-ponds. Adults and larvae of eight species were collected almost exclusively from submerged, decaying wood, while those of most other species inhabited rock or gravel substrates, especially in stream riffles, and only occasionally were found in wood; adults of three species of Dubiraphia were found also on macrophytes. The presence of Stenelmis antennalis, S. fuscata, and S. knobeli in Wisconsin represents significant range extensions

Biology. Ecology, Larval Taxonomy, and Distribution of Hydropsychidae (Trichoptera) in Wisconsin

About 43.000 larvae and 1800 adults of Hydropsychidae from Wisconsin were studied. These included Diplectrona modesta, Macrostemum zebratum, Parapsyche apicalis, Potamyia flava, eight species of Ceratopsyche, and 11 species of Hydropsyche, but because their larvae cannot be identified the nine species of Cheumatopsyche known from Wisconsin were not included. Keys were developed to separate larvae of species of Ceratopsyche and Hydropsyche that were collected in Wisconsin or are likely to occur here, and notes are provided to facilitate identification of closely related species. Two forms of Ceratopsyche morosa are distinguished, and the larva of Hydropsyche pIacoda is described. Most species have univoltine or bivoltine life cycles in Wisconsin, but D. modesla probably has a semivoltine life cycle. The various species inhabit a wide range of lotic habitats, and Ceratopsyche alternans also inhabits lakeshores. Larvae of Hydropsyche orris, H. phalerata, and P. flava occur only in large rivers; those of Ceratapsyche alhedra, C. bronta, D. modesta, and Hydropsyche arinale occur only in smaIl streams. Tolerance to organic pollution varied widely, with C. morosa (morosa form. C.walkeri, D. modesta, Hydropsyche leonardi, and P. apicalis being found only in unpolluted streams, while C. morosa (bifida form) and Hydropyche betteni abounded in streams with significant organic enrichment. Larvae of some species were always associated with sandy substrates, others were found only in rocky or silt-bottomed streams. and species such as Hydropsyche bidens, H. orris, H. phalerata, H. placoda, H. simulans, and P. flava often burrowed into decaying wood

Resolving Gas Flows in the Ultraluminous Starburst IRAS23365+3604 with Keck LGSAO/OSIRIS

Keck OSIRIS/LGSAO observations of the ultraluminous galaxy IRAS~23365+3604 resolve a circumnuclear bar (or irregular disk) of semimajor axis 0.42" (520 pc) in Paschen-alpha emission. The line-of-sight velocity of the ionized gas increases from the northeast toward the southwest; this gradient is perpendicular to the photometric major axis of the infrared emission. Two pairs of bends in the zero-velocity line are detected. The inner bend provides evidence for gas inflow onto the circumnuclear disk/bar structure. We interpret the gas kinematics on kiloparsec scales in relation to the molecular gas disk and multiphase outflow discovered previously. In particular, the fast component of the outflow (detected previously in line wings) is not detected, adding support to the conjecture that the fast wind originates well beyond the nucleus. These data directly show the dynamics of gas inflow and outflow in the central kiloparsec of a late-stage, gas-rich merger and demonstrate the potential of integral field spectroscopy to improve our understanding of the role of gas flows during the growth phase of bulges and supermassive black holes.Comment: 14 pages with 7 figures accepted to the astrophysical journa

Rediscovery of \u3ci\u3eAcanthametropus Pecatonica\u3c/i\u3e in the Western Great Lakes Region (Ephemeroptera: Siphlonuridae)

Two nearly mature nymphs of Acanthametropus pecatonica were collected in June 1986 from the shifting sand bottom of the lower Wisconsin River. This is the first known collection of this species in the western Great Lakes region since the original collections of two nymphs by R. E. Richardson in 1926 and 1927

The Genesis of the “Brain-Eating” Amoeba

The Creator made all creatures, including amoebas, with variation and plasticity in their genome for global differences of climate, terrain, and environment. God made all creatures to multiply and fill the earth. Diversification and speciation from the original kind would be normal even in a perfect world. Naegleria fowleri is a global amoeba pathogen that is the causative agent of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), thus termed “brain-eating.” Many people are evidently exposed, based upon antibody levels, to this amoeba while swimming in warm waters. Only a small percentage succumb to the germ, but once invasion happens, only about 1% survive. Because it is such a devastating disease, most people do not survive the infection. This common pathogen is a free-living ameboflagellate present in very warm water during the summer time

Effect of Gain-Dependent Phase Shift on Fiber Laser Synchronization

Recent experiments have demonstrated synchronization of fiber laser arrays at low and moderate pump levels. It has been suggested that a key dynamical process leading to synchronized behavior is the differential phase shift induced by the gain media. We explore theoretically the role of this effect in generating inphase dynamics. We find that its presence can substantially enhance the degree of inphase stability to an extent that could be practically important. At the same time, our analysis shows that a gain-dependent phase shift is not a necessary ingredient in the dynamical selection of the inphase state, thus, leading us to reconsider the essential mechanism behind inphase selection in fiber laser arrays