Nathan Whittingham

Conceptual Work

This material develops and tests conceptual frameworks related to mediation, normativity, epistemic constraint, and representation. Pieces range from exploratory notes to more developed arguments.

  • Perceptual Norms Without Ontological Commitment

    Draft. Abstract only. Abstract Recent debates about reason in perception often treat perceptual normativity as a source of epistemic authority. Because perception is subject to standards of correctness, it is taken to justify belief and, in turn, to reveal something about how reality itself is structured. This paper argues that this step goes too far.…

  • Objectivity and Science

    Working Paper. Submitted for publication. This version may be revised. Abstract Scientific objectivity is often pictured, following Alexander, as direct control by reality that bypasses methods. This paper rejects that ideal without collapsing into skepticism. It argues that objectivity is an achievement of disciplined constraint: instruments, models, and concepts do not obstruct reality; they organize…