Constitutivism without Normative Thresholds

Constitutivist accounts in metaethics explain the normative standards in a domain by appealing to the constitutive features of its members. The success of these accounts turns on whether they can explain the connection between normative standards and the nature of individuals they authoritatively govern. Many such explanations presuppose that any member of a norm-governed kind must minimally satisfy the norms governing its kind. I call this the Threshold Commitment, and argue that constitutivists should reject it. First, it requires constitutivists to restrict the scope of their explanatory ambitions, because it is not plausibly true of social kinds. Second, despite the frequent reliance on physical artifacts in constitutivists’ illustrations of the Threshold Commitment, it counter-intuitively entails that physical artifacts can cease to exist without being physically destroyed. Third, it misconstrues the normative force of authoritative norms on very defective kind-members because it locates this force not in the norm, but in the threat of non-existence. Fortunately, constitutivism can be decoupled from the Threshold Commitment, and I close by sketching a promising alternative account

Functional Constitutivism’s Misunderstood Resources: A Limited Defense of Smith’s Constitutivism

In recent work, Michael Smith argues that particular desires are constitutive of ideal agency and draws on his dispositional account of reasons to establish the normative significance of those desires. In a sustained critique, Michael Bukowski objects that Smith’s recent arguments that particular desires are constitutive of ideal agency rely on indefensible premises and his dispositional account of reasons is unable to establish the normative significance of such desires. On the contrary, I argue not only that Smith has the resources to respond to these objections but also that the form of Smith’s constitutivist explanation has unappreciated explanatory strengths

ISOMETRY OF EGG SIZE IN A TEXAS POPULATION OF THE TURTLE STERNOTHERUS ODORATUS THAT EXHIBITS A NEARLY FIXED CLUTCH SIZE

In evaluating optimal egg-size theory and the effects of anatomical constraints on egg size in turtles, pivotal questions concern the significance of the relationship of egg size to female body size and whether the relationship is isometric or hypoallometric. In a central Texas population of the kinosternid turtle Sternotherus odoratus in which clutch size of a sample of turtles was nearly fixed (seven of eight females had two eggs while the largest female had three eggs), there was an isometric increase in egg width with body size among the females with two-egg clutches and significantly reduced egg width in the largest female’s three-egg clutch. Allometric analyses of populations that exhibit little variation in clutch size, as well as analysis of modal clutch sizes in populations with more variable clutch sizes, both have the potential to further illuminate the competing demands of increasing egg size vs. increasing clutch size as females grow larger, enabling them to optimize their reproductive output as it increases with body size

A Caribbean-wide survey of marine reserves: spatial coverage and attributes of effectiveness

Fully-protected marine reserves can function at several spatial scales, from a single area encompassing few habitats, to local networks of many habitats, to large-scale networks connected by larval dispersal. However, the amount, spatial distribution, and associated administrative attributes of Caribbean marine reserves are collectively unknown. We compiled information on reserves from 21 countries in order to 1) assemble a spatial framework to aid development of networks of reserves at the most effective spatial scales, and 2) aid policy makers in establishing reserves that are science-based and possess optimal management attributes. Since 1961 there have been over 50 reserves established in the Caribbean (an additional 30 in Bermuda) with the rate of implementation increasing since the mid 1980’s. Most reserves are small (\u3c 1,200 ha) and few contain the range of habitats necessary for protecting species through their ontogeny. Habitats are often not fully characterized, and the role of reserves in protecting and networking different habitats cannot be ascertained. Reserves are distributed throughout the region, with the highest density in Mesoamerica; but significant geographic gaps exist. It is unlikely that reserve-enhanced larval production significantly networks populations on a regional basis, although this may occur subregionally (e.g., Mesoamerica). Less than 20% of the reserves were scored as fully compliant, but half offer potentially significant levels of protection

Synthesis and Characterization of platinum – selenium Derivatives: X-ray Structure of \u3cem\u3etrans\u3c/em\u3e-Pt(Pet\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3e)\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e(SePh)\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

The crystal structure of trans-[((bis)triethylphosphine)(bis(phenylselenato))platinum (II)] has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystallization occurs in the triclinic space group P-1 (No. 2) with a = 8.9964(2) Å, b = 11.5103(2) Å, c = 14.9335(3) Å; α = 85.8750(10)°, β = 72.5350(10)°, γ = 68.4450(10)°. Details of the structure and spectroscopic results are presented and discussed and comparisons are made with related square planar platinum (II) structures

A Shortened Synthesis of Optically Pure Tricarbonyl[methyl (2E,4E)-6-oxo-2,4-hexadienoate]Iron Leading to Improved Yield

The (+)- and (–)-enantiomers of tricarbonyl[methyl (2E,4E)-6-oxo-2,4-hexadienoate]iron are prepared in 4 steps from commercially available hexadienal (26% and 25% yields, respectively)

Bis(diethyldithiocarbamato)(iodo)(4-methoxyphenyl)tellurium(IV), \u3cem\u3ep\u3c/em\u3e-MeOC\u3csub\u3e6\u3c/sub\u3eH\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3eTe(Et\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eNCS\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e)\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eI, and its Isomorphous Partially Bromine-Replaced Analogue, \u3cem\u3ep\u3c/em\u3e-MeOC\u3csub\u3e6\u3c/sub\u3eH\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3eTe(Et\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eNCS\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e)\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eBr\u3csub\u3e0.41\u3c/sub\u3eI\u3csub\u3e0.59\u3c/sub\u3e

The structure of the title TeIV complex, C13H19BrN2OS4Te.045(CH2Cl2), is pentagonal bipyramidal with four S atoms [Te-S 2.623 (1)-2.717 (1) Å] and the Br atom [Te-Br 2.890 (1) Å] in equatorial positions. The p-methoxyphenyl group is axial [Te-C 2.145 (3) Å] and the second axial position seems to be occupied by a dithiocarbamate group of a neighbouring molecule acting as a -ligand [TeC 3.751 (3) Å, C-TeC 170.2 (1)°], so that molecules are joined into centrosymmetric associations by this secondary coordination

Hexabenzo[4.4.4]propellane: A Helical Molecular Platform for the Construction of Electroactive Materials

Helical hexabenzo[4.4.4]propellane (a relative of hexaphenylethane) and its derivatives are synthesized and their structures are established by X-ray crystallography. Isolation and X-ray crystallographic characterization of a robust trication-radical salt of hexamethoxypropellane derivative confirms that its framework is stable toward oxidative (aliphatic) C−C bond cleavage. It is also demonstrated that propellane can be easily brominated at the 4,4‘-positions of the biphenyl linkages for its usage as a molecular platform for the preparation of electroactive materials