Quantitative Parsimony and the Metaphysics of Time: Motivating Presentism

In this paper I argue that presentism—the view that only present objects exist—can be motivated, at least to some degree, by virtue of the fact that it is more quantitatively parsimonious than rival views.     

Romantic competence,healthy relationship functioning,and well‐being in emerging adults

A skills‐based model of healthy relationship functioning—romantic competence (RC)—is described. Its association with relationship and individual well‐being was examined in three studies of emerging adults using the Romantic Competence Interview for Emerging Adults (RCI–EA), which measures competence as the interplay of three skill domains. Across studies (women [n = 102], women and men [n = 187], romantic couples [n = 89]), RC was associated with greater security, healthier decision making, greater satisfaction, and fewer internalizing symptoms. The RCI–EA skill domains formed a latent factor and were associated with self‐reports reflective of RC, supporting the construct's validity. The RC construct may thus provide a theory‐driven, overarching way to characterize healthy romantic functioning that can reduce negative outcomes.     

Luck and Equality: A Reply to Hurley1

In Chapter 6 (“Why the Aim to Neutralize Luck Cannot Provide a Basis for Egalitarianism”) of her Justice, Luck, and Knowledge, Susan Hurley defends two claims: that “the aim to neutralize luck [does not] contribute to identifying and specifying what egalitarianism is”, and that it also provides no “independent non‐question‐begging reason or justification for egalitarianism” (p. 147). In the present response, I reject the first of Hurley's claims, and I show that the second, while true, lacks polemical force. I said, in “On the Currency of Egalitarian Justice” (Ethics, 1989), that     

ON THE VALIDITY OF SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF COMPANY PERFORMANCE

Subjective measures of company performance are widely used in research and typically are interpreted as equivalent to objective measures. Yet, the assumption of equivalence is open to challenge. We compared the use of both types of measure in 3 separate samples. Findings were consistent in showing that: (a) subjective and objective measures of company performance were positively associated (convergent validity); (b) those relationships were stronger than those between measures of differing aspects of performance using the same method (discriminant validity); and (c) the relationships of subjective and objective company performance measures with a range of independent variables were equivalent (construct validity).     

JUDAISM AND NATURAL LAW

The question of the relation between Judaism and natural law is important both for scholars and for reflective persons with an interest in the grounds of Jewish moral thought. There is a rich history of natural law theorizing that has had considerable influence, and there has been a revival of natural law theorizing in the contemporary period. The topic of the present discussion is of more than historical interest; it is a live question of real, current relevance.     

COGNITIVE DISABILITY IN A SOCIETY OF EQUALS

Abstract: This essay considers the range of possible policy options that are available if we wish to attempt to treat people with cognitive disabilities as equal members of society. It suggests that the goal of policy should be to allow each disabled person to establish a worthwhile place in the world and sets out four policy options: cash compensation, personal enhancement, status enhancement, and targeted resource enhancement. The essay argues for the social policy of targeted resource enhancement for individuals with cognitive disabilities, in the form of providing cash, with some limits on its use. Taking the example from the United Kingdom of "self-directed support," it argues that such policies can be cost-effective and advance the autonomy of people with cognitive disabilities, especially when compared with current policies of centrally provided services.