The following dissertation presents a new paradigm for improving the training of machine learning algorithms, oracle learning. The main idea in oracle learning is that instead of training directly on a set of data, a learning model is trained to approximate a given oracle's behavior on a set of data. This can be beneficial in situations where it is easier to obtain an oracle than it is to use it at application time. It is shown that oracle learning can be applied to more effectively reduce the size of artificial neural networks, to more efficiently take advantage of domain experts by approximating them, and to adapt a problem more effectively to a machine learning algorithm.

This study analyzed moral psychology's “moral judgment-moral action gap” research and found that morality was being described as a secondary phenomenon produced by underlying substrates (such as identity and self constructs, “brain modules,” and “evolved emotional systems”) which are themselves non-moral. Deriving morality from “the non-moral” presents a kind of ontological gap in the moral psychology research. Researchers implicitly close this gap assuming it is possible to get moral judgments and actions out of non-moral substrates. But the difficulty remains how the moral as “moral” becomes infused into any moral psychology models. Morality is not a secondary phenomenon arising out of something else. This study argues that there is a need to shift our understanding of what it means to be human, to a view in which the moral is fundamental. An alternative foundation for assessing the moral is found in the work of Emmanuel Levinas who sees ethics as a metaphysical concern. This means that he sees the essential moral character of human life and the reality of human agency as ontologically fundamental, or constitutive of human nature itself. In other words, the ethical is the “first cause” in regards to understanding the nature and action of the self. Thus morality is not merely epiphenomenal to some more fundamental reality. Levinas holds that as humans, we are called to the Other. This call of obligation to the Other comes before all other human endeavors. After presenting Levinas's alternative foundation of obligation to the Other which herein is labeled Felt Moral Obligation (FMO), C. Terry Warner's conceptualizations of FMO in relation to the moral judgment-action gap are presented. In light of these conceptualizations, this study argues that there is actually no moral judgment-moral action gap, but only holistic events of moral self-betrayal. Warner illustrates that rejecting FMO is a single moral event, a holistic act performed by a moral agent that involves moral responses of self-justification, offense-taking, and rationalization. The person finds him or herself in a state of self-betrayal. Levinas and Warner implicitly assert that such self-betraying responses are not fundamentally biological or rational, but rather, fundamentally moral.

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This doctoral dissertation, entitled Illustration of Natural Science and Graphic Automatism as Paradigms of the Search for Objectivity and Subjectivity through Drawing. A Theoretical and Practical Study, is centered in the field of drawing and born from a series of insights arising from the artistic practice of the autor of the thesis. It is about and investigation that delves into how aspects of nature are represented, learned about, and comunicated through drawing. To do this, two seemingly opposite forms of drawing are juxtaposed: the automatic drawing, developed by the Surrealists in the second decade of the twentieth century (which is presented as the paradigm of subjectivity in the field of drawing); and illustration of natural sciences, belonging to the Age of Enlightenment (which is the maximum expression of objectivity in the field of drawing). Despite these drawing styles being distant in time and demanding a radically different attitude of the artist, we believe that they share more aspects than it might seem a priori. One emphasized aspects of this graphical strategies is that they seek to represent nature impartially, although automatic drawing alludes to the psychic nature of the illustrator, while illustration of natural sciences alludes to biological nature. In fact, to try to show the commonalities, as well as differences found between the two types of drawing, we will first review the evolution and main characteristics of each of these graphic strategies. Hence, we will begin the first two chapters addressing the origin onf these types of drawing, which fundamentally have the same starting point: the splitting of the objective and subjective views of reality at the dawn of Modernism, which would lead to establish a growing gap between the practical representations of scientific and humanistic culture. In addition, we will review some of the most representative works of automatic drawing and illustration of natural sciences in order to analyze their main characteristics and deepen the link between these modes drawing and visuality. We will also point out some creative limitations found in both graphic strategies. The third chapter is one in which we "cross" the information contained in the two preceding chapters in order to show that, although there are undeniable differences, there are also a number of similarities that allow for the meeting of the two modes of drawing in the same artistic discourse. In fact, we will present the work of a number of artists who have combined both visual languages, and we will delve into the artistic production of three artists, fundamental to the artistic production of the autor of this thesis: Max Ernst, Terry Winters, and Luis Gordillo. These creators have fruitfully combined automatic drawing with an allusion to the imaginary of the natural sciences to reflect accurately on their mental processes and plastically enrich their artistic discourse. We were able to question both Winters and Gordillo directly about substantive issues in this research, and so we have transcribed the complete interviews and attached them to the end of the chapter so they can be consulted in their entirety. In this chapter, we will also present the work of the autor of this thesis, performing a chronological review of his graphic evolution in order to describe his creative development and demonstrate the connections between his insights arrising from artistic practice and his theoretic reflection in general. Finally, we have included some conclusions in which we balance what is presented throughout the investigation and try to clarify to what extent the initial insights arising from the artistic practice of the author were wrong, or conversely if some anticipated aspects have been confirmed through detailed theoretical analysis. / Esta tesis doctoral, denominada La ilustración de ciencias naturales y el automatismo gráfico como paradigmas de la búsqueda de objetividad y subjetividad a través del dibujo. Estudio teórico- práctico, está centrada en el ámbito del dibujo y nace a partir de una serie de intuiciones surgidas de la práctica artística del tesinando. Se trata de una investigación que profundiza en cómo se registran, conocen y comunican aspectos de la naturaleza a través del dibujo. Para ello, se yuxtaponen dos modos de dibujar que parecen opuestos: El dibujo automático desarrollado por los surrealistas en la segunda década del siglo XX (que se presenta como el paradigma de la subjetividad en el ámbito del dibujo) y la ilustración de ciencias naturales perteneciente al periodo ilustrado (máxima expresión de la objetividad en el campo dibujístico). A pesar de tratarse de tipos de dibujo distantes en el tiempo y que demandan del dibujante una actitud radicalmente distinta, consideramos que comparten más aspectos de los que pudiera parecer a priori. Entre ellos, destaca el tratarse de estrategias gráficas que buscan registrar la naturaleza de manera imparcial, aunque el dibujo automático aluda a la naturaleza psíquica del dibujante y la ilustración de ciencias naturales a la naturaleza biológica. De hecho, para tratar de evidenciar los puntos en común entre ambos modos de dibujar así como las diferencias encontradas, primero revisaremos el devenir y las características principales de cada una de estas estrategias gráficas. Por ello, comenzaremos los dos primeros capítulos abordando el origen de estas maneras de dibujar, que en el fondo parte de un mismo punto: La escisión de la perspectiva objetiva y subjetiva de la realidad en los albores de la Modernidad, que conllevaría a establecer un creciente distanciamiento entre las prácticas representaciones de la cultura científica y la humanística. Además, revisaremos algunas de las obras más representativas del dibujo automático y la ilustración de ciencias naturales, con el fin de analizar sus características principales y profundizar en el vínculo entre estos modos de dibujar y la visualidad. También señalaremos algunos limitantes creativos encontrados en ambas estrategias gráficas. El tercer capítulo será aquel en el que "cruzaremos" la información expuesta en de los dos anteriores con el fin de evidenciar que, a pesar de que existen innegables diferencias, hay también un buen número de similitudes que hacen posible el encuentro entre ambas estrategias gráficas en un mismo discurso artístico. De hecho, presentaremos la obra de una serie de creadores que han simultaneado ambos lenguajes visuales y profundizaremos en la producción artística de tres artistas fundamentales en la producción artística del tesinando: Max Ernst, Terry Winters y Luís Gordillo. Estos creadores han combinado de manera fecunda el dibujo automático con una alusión al imaginario de ciencias naturales para reflexionar de manera certera sobre sus procesos psíquicos y enriquecer plásticamente su discurso artístico. Tanto a Gordillo como a Winters pudimos preguntarles directamente sobre cuestiones sustanciales de esta investigación, por ello hemos transcrito de manera íntegra las entrevistas realizadas y las hemos anexado al final del capítulo para que puedan consultarse en su totalidad. En este capítulo, también presentaremos la obra del tesinando, realizando un repaso cronológico a su evolución gráfica con el fin de describir su desarrollo creativo y evidenciar las conexiones entre las intuiciones surgidas de la práctica artística y las reflexiones teóricas de carácter general. Por último, hemos incluido unas conclusiones en las que hacemos balance de lo expuesto a lo largo de la investigación y tratamos de dilucidar hasta qué punto las intuiciones iniciales surgidas de la práctica artística del tesinando eran erradas o, por el contrario, anticipaban aspec / Aquesta tesi doctoral, anomenada La il·lustració de ciències naturals i l'automatisme gràfic com a paradigmes de la recerca d'objectivitat i subjectivitat a través del dibuix. Estudi teòric-pràctic, està centrada en l'àmbit del dibuix i neix a partir d'una sèrie d'intuïcions sorgides de la pràctica artística de l'autor d'aquesta tesi. Es tracta d'una investigació que aprofundeix en com es registren, coneixen i comuniquen aspectes de la natura a través del dibuix. Per a això, es juxtaposen dues maneres de dibuixar que semblen oposades: El dibuix automàtic desenvolupat pels surrealistes en la segona dècada del segle XX (que es presenta com el paradigma de la subjectivitat en l'àmbit del dibuix) i la il·lustració de ciències naturals pertanyent al període il·lustrat (màxima expressió de l'objectivitat en el camp del dibuix). Tot i tractar-se de dos formes de dibuixar distants en el temps i que demanden del dibuixant una actitud radicalment diferent, considerem que comparteixen més aspectes dels que podria semblar a priori. Entre ells, destaca el tractar-se d'estratègies gràfiques que busquen registrar la naturalesa de manera imparcial, encara que el dibuix automàtic al·ludeixi a la naturalesa psíquica del dibuixant i la il·lustració de ciències naturals a la naturalesa biològica. De fet, per a tractar d'evidenciar els punts en comú entre els dos tipus de dibuix així com les diferències trobades, primer revisarem l'esdevenir i les característiques principals de cadascuna d'aquestes estratègies gràfiques. Per això, començarem els dos primers capítols abordant l'orígen d'aquests tipus de dibuix, que en el fons part d'un mateix punt: L'escissió de la perspectiva objectiva i subjectiva de la realitat en les albors de la Modernitat, que comportaria a establir un creixent distanciament entre les pràctiques representacions de la cultura científica i la humanística. A més a més, revisarem algunes de les obres més representatives del dibuix automàtic i la il·lustració de ciències naturals, per tal d'analitzar les seves característiques principals i aprofundir en el vincle entre aquests modes de dibuixar i la visualitat. També assenyalarem alguns limitants creatius trobats en les dues estratègies gràfiques. El tercer capítol és aquell en què "creuarem" la informació exposada en dels dos anteriors per tal d'evidenciar que, tot i que hi ha innegables diferències, existeixen també un bon nombre de similituds que fan possible la trobada de tots dos modes de dibuixar en un mateix discurs artístic. De fet, presentarem l'obra d'una sèrie de creadors que han alternat ambdós llenguatges visuals i aprofundirem en la producció artística de tres artistes fonamentals en la producció artística de l'autor d'aquesta tesi: Max Ernst, Terry Winters i Luís Gordillo. Aquests creadors han combinat de manera fecunda el dibuix automàtic amb una al·lusió a l'imaginari de ciències naturals per reflexionar de manera precisa sobre els seus processos psíquics i enriquir plàsticament el seu discurs artístic. Tant a Gordillo com a Winters vam poder preguntar-los directament sobre qüestions substancials en aquesta investigació, per això hem transcrit de manera íntegra les entrevistes realitzades i les hem annexat al final del capítol perquè puguin consultar-se en la seva totalitat. En aquest capítol també presentarem l'obra de Julio López Tornel, realitzant un repàs cronològic a la seva evolució gràfica per tal de descriure el seu desenvolupament creatiu i evidenciar les connexions entre les intuïcions sorgides de la pràctica artística i les reflexions teòriques de caràcter general. Finalment, hem inclòs unes conclusions en les que fem balanç del que s'ha exposat al llarg de la investigació i tractem de dilucidar fins a quin punt les intuïcions inicials sorgides de la pràctica artística de l'autor eren errades o, per contra, anticipaven aspectes que després han esta / López Tornel, J. (2017). La ilustración de ciencias naturales y el automatismo gráfico como paradigmas de la búsqueda de objetividad y subjetividad a través del dibujo. Estudio teórico práctico [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/78619

The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of housing conditions of the 108 occupied rural homes in the school district known as Wellman Consolidated Independent School District, which is located in Terry County in West Texas.

The aim of this study is to study how the themes of loss, hope and place attachment is presented in relation to the concept of ecoglobalist affects in the contemporary nature writing of Swedish author Kerstin Ekman and American author Terry Tempest Williams. I have performed a comparative close reading of three works per author and discussed them in relation to the definitions of nature writing and ecoglobalist affects by Lawrence Buell and the definition of place attachment as a psychological process by Leila Scannell and Robert Gifford. I have found that all of the texts are clear cases of environmentally oriented literature, that the depictions of loss, hope and place attachment are very similar and that while Ekman focuses on the lack of general public knowledge and mostly refrains from dissolving boundaries between the self and the environment, Williams focuses more on the latter. I also found that while examples of ecoglobalist affects could be read in works by both authors in different ways, they were not present in all of the texts. / Syftet med denna studie är att studera hur förlust, hopp och platsbundenhet presenteras som teman i relation till begreppet ecoglobalist affects i Kerstin Ekmans och Terry Tempest Williams naturessäer. Jag har genomfört en komparativ närläsning av tre verk per författare och diskuterat dem i relation till Lawrence Buells definition av nature writing och ecoglobalist affects, samt Leila Scannells och Robert Giffords definition av platsbundenhet som psykologisk process. Studien fann att samtliga av texterna är klara exempel på miljöorienterad litteratur, att skildringarna av förlust, hopp och platsbundenhet har många likheter samt att Ekmans essäer fokuserar på allmän kunskapsbrist och mestadels avstår från att upplösa gränser mellan jaget och den icke-mänskliga naturen, medan Williams fokuserar mer på det sistnämnda. Jag fann även att ecoglobalist affects kunde läsas i verk av båda författarna, men inte i samtliga av de undersökta texterna.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate, explain, compare and to a degree criticize the two theories Global Stakeholder Democracy by Terry Macdonald and Transnational Discursive Democracy by John Dryzek and their respective arguments for a global democracy, by using the method of an internal idea analysis. The two main questions of the thesis are: -  With what arguments do Macdonald and Dryzek legitimize their respective form of global democracy? -  What similarities as well as differences can be found in their argumentation for their respective theory and is it possible to see any potential internal problems in their argumentation? The results show that both Global Stakeholder Democracy and Transnational Discursive Democracy can be interpreted to share the same basic way of legitimizing democracy through a liberal value and notion of autonomy. Because of the current democratic deficit on a global level, this value is threatened. Both theories therefore try to solve this problem by promoting a pragmatic theory to democratize the global political system. The study recognizes some potential problems regarding the way both Macdonald and Dryzek argue for a global democracy. In MacDonald’s theory, the potential problem concerns mainly the lack of a clear definition of the theory’s fundamental part, what a stakeholder is. The potential problems with Dryzek’s theory derive from the fact that he might put to much trust in the concept of reflexive modernization, whether his theory will be able to actually influence discourses despite a lack of formal institutions, and finally if the theory will be able to guarantee political equality in the decision making process.

This thesis is the result of two years of study in archival science at the Department of ABM (archive, library, museum) at Uppsala University, Sweden. The purpose of the thesis is to highlight community archives, specifically how the community archive "Archive for the Unexplained" in Norrköping operates as a community archive and handles received documents and records of ufo-reports from UFO-Sweden. Our focus has been to study record- keeping and how the documents are made available to promote the possibility of transparency, research, and ar- chival retrieval. The analysis is divided into two parts: the archive and its internal archival structure, as well as the records. The analysis of the archival structure is focused on how the archive operates as a community archive based on the theory of Terry Cook's four paradigms, which aims to show how archives have gone from closed archives to open places for knowledge. The results of this thesis show how the Archive for the Unexplained as a community archive in contrasts to archives that operate in the official authority and fulfill a vital role in the paranormal field and how its material is primarily used for investigating Unexplained phenomena while it is providing a creative space for a narrative of a fictional and folkloristic nature. This is a two years master's thesis in Archival science.

National soccer teams are currently ranked by soccer's governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Although the system used by FIFA is thorough, taking into account many different factors, many of the weights used in the system's calculations are somewhat arbitrary. It is investigated here how the use of a statistical model might better compare the teams for ranking purposes. By treating each game played as a pairwise comparison experiment and by using the Bradley-Terry model as a starting point some suitable models are presented. A key component of the final model introduced here its ability to differentiate between friendly matches and competitive matches when determining the impact of a match on a teams ranking. Posterior distributions of the rating parameters are obtained, and the rankings and results obtained from each model are compared to FIFA's rankings and each other.