Do epistemic reasons bear on the ought simpliciter?

Abstract

Are epistemic reasons normative in the same sense as, forinstance, moral reasons? In this paper I examine and defendthe claim that epistemic reasons are normative only rela-tive to an epistemic standard. Unlike moral reasons theyare notsubstantially normative,because they fail to makean independent contribution to obligations or permissionssimpliciter.After presenting what I take to be the main argu-ment for this view, I illustrate that the argument has oftenbeen defended by examples which controversially presup-pose strong epistemic obligations or pragmatic reasons forbelief. Opponents of the argument often deny the existenceof obligations and reasons of these kinds. I therefore exam-ine whether the argument can withstand that line of critiqueby employing new examples.