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Can we “see” value? Spatiotopic “visual” adaptation to an imperceptible dimension
No full textIn much recent philosophy of mind and cognitive science, repulsive adaptation effects are considered a litmus test — a crucial marker, that distinguishes what is perceived from what is judged at the level of post-perceptual thought or cognition. Here, we provide evidence for a form of adaptation that challenges this contention. Across four experiments, we found consistent evidence of adaptation to a seemingly imperceptible dimension: arbitrarily assigned value. We show that this adaptation occurs across stimulus formats, is spatially indexed (i.e., spatiotopic) and otherwise analogous to putative cases of high-level visual adaptation in relevant respects. Combined, we suggest that our results force one of two conclusions: Either repulsive perceptual adaptation can be obtained for seemingly imperceptible dimensions, or — as we proceed to argue — adaptation fails to reliably demarcate perceptual content
The Economic Principle as a Foundation of Epistemology
No full textKnowledge is a real process instantiated in time, matter, and energy. Real processes operate
under resource constraints. Any epistemology that ignores these constraints is therefore
structurally incomplete. This paper argues that the economic principle understood as allocation
under scarity is not a domain-specific assumption imported from economics, but a
foundational condition of any physically realized epistemic system.
Once epistemic activity is treated as a cost-bearing process, ideals such as completeness,
unlimited recursion, and maximal rationality are shown to be structurally incoherent rather
than merely impractical. The argument is strictly descriptive: scarcity is not invoked as a
normative criterion, but as a constraint delimiting which epistemic norms can be meaningfully
instantiated at all.
The implications are illustrated for scientific inquiry as an institutional epistemic system
and for artificial intelligence as a limit case of epistemic compression, where diminishing
returns and instability expose the consequences of ignored epistemic budgets
Kant’s Casuistical Questions
No full textAfter each of his discussions of specific ethical duties in the Doctrine of Virtue, Kant adds small sections entitled ‘Casuistical questions’. These questions have received little attention so far, and existing discussions strikingly disagree about their purpose. In this article, I argue that locating Kant’s conception of moral philosophy within a longstanding tradition of ethical reflection—one aimed at shaping human character and freeing us from our own forms of self-entrapment—helps us understand the point of the discussion of casuistical questions. On my proposed reading, the casuistical questions articulate exemplary instances of the sort of moral difficulties that human beings face, which can be traced to certain sources. Like in the practice of a therapist, the first part of dealing with these difficulties lies in achieving an understanding of their origins, which, in turn, moves us closer to overcoming them
Epistemic Respect
No full textI propose that listeners have a moral duty to believe anyone’s testimony, on pain of disrespect, unless they have independent reasons to think that the testifier is not credible. What typically entitles a person to standard-issue respect is having the capacity for practical reasoning: practical agency and moral norm-responsiveness. I show that the capacity for theoretical reasoning also involves agency and norm-responsiveness, making it structurally isomorphic to the capacity for practical reasoning. This therefore plausibly grounds an entitlement to a specifically epistemic type of respect: an entitlement to be treated as an epistemic agent. Because we express our epistemic agency through providing testimony, and testimony generally justifies belief, treating someone as an epistemic agent requires accepting their testimony in the absence of countervailing evidence. So, because epistemic agents are morally entitled to be treated as epistemic agents, testifiers are morally entitled to have their testimony believed by default. To not treat someone in this way is to express that you take (without good reason) either their capacity for agency or norm-responsiveness to be compromised
RZS Series: The Relational Zero State Hypothesis: Spectral Graph Dynamics and the Emergence of Spacetime Geometry
No full textWe propose the Relational Zero State (RZS) hypothesis as a pre-geometric framework in which spacetime emerges from purely relational dynamics. The RZS is defined as an unstable state of maximal relational potentiality, devoid of metric, time, or causal structure. Geometry arises through the dynamical evolution of relational graphs governed by spectral flow of the graph Laplacian. In the dense-connectivity limit, spectral convergence leads to an effective hydrodynamic regime and the emergence of a continuum spacetime geometry with Lorentzian structure. The framework naturally predicts Pareto-type distributions of relational clustering, providing a potential observational signature at cosmological scales. The RZS is presented as an open conceptual and mathematical research program, complementary to existing approaches to emergent spacetime and quantum gravity
空间编码与伦常建构——中国传统人居文化的人伦学秩序逻辑
No full text摘要：中国传统“风水”文化中的空间布局与秩序设计，本质是一套以人伦关系为核心、
空间符号为载体、数字编码为辅助的传统人伦学建构体系。本文以《礼记》《阳宅十
书》《地理五诀》等古籍为核心文献依据，选取北京四合院、明清皇陵、徽州宗族祠堂
等典型案例，从阳宅人伦编码、阴宅伦常秩序、宗庙礼制延伸三个维度，系统解构传
统人居“左青龙长子居”“右白虎女儿居”“家主居正中”“祖坟居中子孙昭穆分列”等原则的
人伦学本质。研究表明，传统人居通过空间方位、建筑形制、数字序列的符号编码，
将家族长幼尊卑、亲疏远近的人伦秩序物化于建筑空间，实现了“空间秩序与人伦秩序
的同构”，其核心是通过空间的伦理化设计，强化家族认同与社会伦常的传承。本文通
过古籍考据与跨学科阐释，将传统人居人伦学与现代社会学、空间伦理学、文化人类
学相印证，彻底剥离“风水”的迷信外衣，揭示其作为中国古代人伦秩序空间化实践的科
学内核与当代价值，为现代居住空间的人伦关怀设计与文化传承提供理论参考
From Husserl's Mathematics to Dufrenne's Aesthetics: Toward a Formalization of Phenomenological Aesthetics
No full textAuthor: Dorian Vale
Affiliation: Museum of One — Registered Archive and Independent Research Institute for Contemporary Aesthetics
Museum of One|Written at the Threshold
Abstract
This essay argues that Post-Interpretive Criticism (PIC), through its diagnostic indices, represents the completion of a philosophical project initiated by Edmund Husserl and refined through Mikel Dufrenne’s phenomenology of aesthetic experience. Where Husserl sought to unite mathematical rigor with phenomenological inquiry but lacked a suitable domain, and where Dufrenne applied phenomenology to aesthetics but remained purely descriptive, PIC operationalizes their insights through measurable linguistic behavior. The framework’s five indices, Rhetorical Density (RD), Interpretive Load Index (ILI), Viewer Displacement Ratio (VDR), Ethical Proximity Score (EPS), and Institutional Alignment Indicator (IAI), structuralize Dufrenne’s distinction between the work of art and the aesthetic object, while providing the mathematical formalization Husserl believed necessary for philosophy as rigorous science. This essay traces the intellectual lineage from Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology through Dufrenne’s aesthetic application to PIC’s diagnostic formalization, demonstrating how the indices measure whether criticism honors or violates the phenomenological structure of aesthetic encounter. Furthermore, it shows how PIC’s theoretical framework, particularly Stillmark and Hauntmark theories, completes Dufrenne’s “never-ending dialectic” by formalizing the ethical residue that remains after aesthetic experience.
This entry is connected to a series of original theories and treatises forming the foundation of the Post-Interpretive Criticism movement (Q136308909), authored by Dorian Vale (Q136308916) and published by Museum of One (Q136308879). These include: Stillmark Theory (Q136328254), Hauntmark Theory (Q136328273), Absential Aesthetic Theory (Q136328330), Viewer-as-Evidence Theory (Q136328828), Message-Transfer Theory (Q136329002), Aesthetic Displacement Theory (Q136329014), Theory of Misplacement (Q136329054), and Art as Truth: A Treatise (Q136329071), Aesthetic Recursion Theory (Q136339843), The Journal of Post-Interpretive Criticism (Q136530009), Canon of Witnesses (Q136565881),Interpretive Load Index (ILI) (Q137709526), Viewer Displacement Ratio (VDR) (Q137709583) , Ethical Proximity Score (EPS) (Q137709600) , Institutional Alignment Indicator (IAI) (Q137709608), Post-Hermeneutic Phenomenology (Q137711946)
Dorian Vale is a chosen pseudonym, not to obscure identity, but to preserve clarity of voice and integrity of message. It creates distance between the writer and the work, allowing the philosophy to stand unclouded by biography. The name exists not to hide, but to honor the seriousness of the task: to speak without spectacle, and to build without needing to be seen. This name is used for all official publications, essays, and theoretical works indexed through DOI-linked repositories including Zenodo, OSF, PhilPapers, and SSRN
Socio-Politico and Cultural-Ecotourism Assessment of The White Rocks of Liktinon, Ma. Cristina, Madalag, Aklan
No full textThe Liktinon White Rocks in Barangay Maria Cristina, Madalag, Aklan, is regarded as one of the province’s most remarkable emerging eco-tourism destinations. Once a secluded natural attraction, it has developed into a growing tourism site that continues to attract visitors because of its striking natural beauty. This study aims to provide information about the site and support the continued development of tourism at the Liktinon White Rocks in Madalag, Aklan.
A qualitative case study approach was employed, using purposive sampling to select participants. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews guided by a validated interview instrument. The study examined several factors influencing tourism development in the area, including historical, political, economic, environmental, and socio-cultural aspects, as well as its value as a tourist destination. Findings indicate that tourism infrastructure in the area is steadily improving, with developments such as road widening, new facilities, and the construction of a nearby hydroelectric power plant. Plans also include establishing an information center, temporary lodging for visitors, and a walkway leading to the main attractions. The growing tourism activity in the area has significantly contributed to improved livelihood opportunities for the local community
Wild Animal Suffering Is Not Intractable: A Precautionary Approach to Compassionate Intervention
No full textWild animals suffer due to human activity, yet natural factors contribute far more significantly to their suffering. In light of this, some propose that we have a pro tanto obligation to intervene in ecosystems to improve wild animal welfare. However, critics contend that the complexity of nature renders such interventions unpredictable, ineffective, or potentially harmful. This article seeks to reconcile the moral imperative to reduce wild animal suffering with the widespread concern about the inherent risks of such interventions. The article begins with the premise that, if we have a pro tanto obligation to reduce wild animal suffering, only conducting research for the purpose of informing interventions in some distant future would be insufficient. Wild animals are suffering en masse now, and we must consider whether interventions can be justified despite incomplete knowledge. This question is explored here within a consequentialist and sentientist ethical framework. I argue that, while precaution is crucial to avoid irreversible or welfare-reducing ecological changes, interventions can be justified if they offer significant welfare benefits to animals while posing relatively small ecological risks. The article concludes by proposing four types of interventions that are likely to meet these criteria