ascriptivism is the view that human beings are to be held responsible for their social actions .

ascriptivists hold that to say an action was voluntary on the part of an agent is not to describe the act as caused in a certain way , but to ascribe it to the agent , or to hold the agent responsible for it .

ascriptivism

( 2006 ) ascriptivism resurrected : the case for ascriptivism . in : action and responsibility . library of ethics and applied philosophy , vol 18 . springer , dordrecht
my aim here is first to argue that the objections found geach and searle do not show that pattern of analysis , ascriptivism , to be mistaken , do not refute it . secondly , and in light of the rejection of the geach - searle position . i shall defend ascriptivism , although in a version both purged and expanded . the success of that project means that keeping semantics free of pragmatics is not possible .
what must be addressed prior to seeing what effect searle ' s ( unintended ) assimilationist move has on ascriptivism are the reasons for holding that the meaning of ' good ' cannot involve a reference to commending .
a second major item to be purged from the earlier version of ascriptivism is the sharp distinction made then between evaluative and descriptive meaning and the associated claim that the descriptive meaning is dependent upon the evaluative . while there is a truth distorted in that bifurcation of two kinds of meaning , both the bifurcation and the dependence thesis are not part of a re - modeled ascriptivism . once again , a good deal of powerful criticism has been directed at this set of ideas .
the ascriptivist rebels here . ascriptivism is a naturalistic position : rather than resorting to non - natural transcendent properties discernible only by a seemingly invented faculty , it is simpler and more cogent to surrender the idea that goodness is a property and thus treat the objections to defining it as establishing that conclusion . of course , that does leave the problem of what status the predicate ' good ' has – and ascriptivism is only too happy to supply a radically non - traditional account .
geach tries to show that even if ascriptivism ' s account of meaning is rejected , it is possible to provide an account that does not run afoul of the problem ( or , in effect , searle ' s criterion of adequacy . )
i shall consequently produce a larger set of considerations , set out below in no particular order and having different degrees of significance , that ascriptivism today would rely upon to show that ' good ' cannot be defined and that therefore goodness cannot be a property . [ 13 ]
unlike geach , searle does not set out to show how ' good ' can mean the same in all the various constructions in which it can occur . however , he tries to do that for one special word and thereby , quite unintentionally , shows one way that ascriptivism might solve the challenge he has made to it .
i committed myself , and ascriptivism , to the following claim : contrary to geach , the argument form ' if that is good ( i . e commendable ) , then p ; but that is good ( a commendation ) ; ergo p ' is valid , does not contain a fallacy of equivocation . that needs defense .
while geach ' s objections to the ascriptivist pattern are vital to today ' s definist tradition , the definist overlooks his contributions to the discussion in his influential ' good and evil ' . although the main target there is again ascriptivism , his arguments entail a powerful criticism of attempts to give a definition of ' good ' .
while the standard criticisms of the ascriptivist contention - that a reference to commending is a central feature of the meaning of ' good ' - do not succeed , nonetheless the ascriptivist view is not the default position and does not automatically succeed when criticism of it fails . more needs to be said in both explanation and defense of ascriptivism .
1 . the relevant writings are : peter geach , ' ascriptivism ' , logic matters ( blackwell , 1972 ) , pp . 250 - 254 , originally published in philosophical review 69 ( 1960 ) , pp . 221 - 225 ; geach , ' assertion ' , logic matters , pp . 254 - 269 , originally published in philosophical review 74 ( 1965 ) , pp . 449 - 465 ; john searle , speech acts , ( cambridge university press , 1969 ) , pp . 136 - 141 ; ( see p . 70 of speech acts for a reference to ' ascriptivism ' . ) a related earlier paper , largely overlooked in these discussions , is geach , ' good and evil ' , theories of ethics ( oxford readings in philosophy ) , ed . philippa foot , ( oxford university press , 1967 ) , pp . 64–73 , originally published in analysis 17 ( 1956 ) , pp . 33 - 42 . to save time and space i shall refer to page numbers of those works in the body of the text , citing item and page , e . g . ( ' ascriptivism ' , p . 254 . )
the critics , geach , searle and their heirs , direct their specific objections to item ( 4 ) , the idea that whatever is done in saying ' that is t ' must be involved in the meaning of t . the earlier steps in the pattern , especially the denial that the term in question is the name of a property , are typically ignored by critics of ascriptivism .
the upshot is that geach ' s criticism of the ascriptivist position about ' good ' in particular and about the pattern generally is misguided . and since it is that criticism that has seemed to be so powerful , to deal a death blow to any attempt to indulge in ascriptivist analyses , it follows that there is no case to be made from the geach - searle perspective against ascriptivism .
since i have claimed that an up - to - date ascriptivism about ' good ' requires that goodness not be a property and that the possibility of defining it requires that it be a property , that is , that goodness be identical with a property whose basic designation is something other than ' good ' , ascriptivism must defend the moorean conclusion . on the other hand , obviously , given the direction of philosophical thought since moore one cannot accept the open - question argument as constituting the only line of defense of that conclusion . that it does seemingly always make sense to wonder whether the supposed defining property and goodness are the same , whether ' p ' and ' good ' mean the same , the open question argument can be no more than one item in support of moore ' s conclusion .
since the definist has not addressed the issue i cannot predict what they might do by way of response . however , the current ascriptivist position is that , until something is produced by way of response to the challenge , something that is worthy of serious thought , then ascriptivism holds the field . for that reason and for all the other considerations offered above , we should reject the idea that ' good ' refers to a property and can be defined in terms of that property .
however , can we really explain what it is to call something good by noting that ' is good ' is a predicate ? does that tell us whether ' good ' is a property being attributed to the thing or whether ascriptivism is correct in holding that in calling something good a non - descriptive claim is being made about the thing ? certainly not – the choice between those questions cannot be settled by simply noticing that ' good ' is a predicate in its uses in various constructions .
notice : in that account of the meaning of ' good ' , there is no distinction between two different kinds of meaning as there was in the early version of ascriptivism . the distinction between evaluative meaning and descriptive meaning vanishes , although involved in the meaning of ' good ' are both a reference to commendability and a requirement that features of the kind of thing in question must be cited in justifying a claim to its goodness . the old disputes about two kinds of meaning and which has precedence simply disappear .
strictly the argument here will focus on the analysis of ' good ' . ( in doing that i am not even committed to holding that all the other mid - century cases are in fact correct . ) occasionally i shall make some reference to ' true ' but only as a reminder that the argument is intended to have wider application than to a single concept . the reasons for selecting ' good ' as the test case is that it is central to the criticism in both geach ( though geach prefers to talk of ' bad ' ) and searle ; it is also the notion in contemporary thought that is most often and most vigorously the target of critics of ascriptivism .
of course , searle is right about those non - equivalences . however , is his representation of what ascriptivism amounts to correct ? not at all : not even in the case where something is being called good . to produce his objection searle converts ' that is good ' wherever it occurs into ' i commend that ' . though his immediate targets , the mid - century ascriptivists , were confused about the relation between performatives and speech acts generally , it doesn ' t follow that the ascriptivist pattern itself must be confused about that . for the commendation performed by calling something good is not to be represented by paraphrasing ' that is good ' as ' i commend it ' .
setting aside the
necessarily
( that shifts the meaning of what he intends ) , searle ' s test is ' a word is not changed in meaning by being located in different syntactical settings ' . searle ' s use of that test presumes that if ascriptivism were correct , ' good ' would change meaning in the syntactical change from ' that is good ' to ' if that is good ' . that is the reverse of the problem as i set it out above : there the assumption is that the word does mean the same and a problem thereby ensues . while there are serious troubles with searle ' s test – are we more certain that the test is correct than what we say about meaning in particular cases ? – let it stand since searle does make use of it .
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term due to p . t . * geach for the view ( which he attacked :
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daniel dennett advocated an approach that seems similar to davidson ' s , in that they both attempt to resolve the problem of reductionism within the materialist tradition , and that they both disagree with fodor . unlike davidson , however , dennett advocates an extremely weak , or liberal , interpretation of intelligence , ascribing it to almost anything that we usually ascribe beliefs and desires to , even if those may appear to be linguistic , e . g . metaphors .
in the head realism
says that brains may be analogous to common man - made computational devices , e . g . audio cassettes aren ' t normally understandable , but given the correct hardware they are .
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that pattern of philosophizing , which was not fully set out by geach or searle , or , so far as i know , by anyone , has the following paradigmatic shape . [ 6 ] ( 1 ) some
philosophically exciting term t ( ' assertion ' , p . 266 ) is denied , contrary to the philosophical tradtion , to be the name of a property , feature , attribute ; ( 2 ) hence , calling something t is not a report that the thing has the property t , is not a description of the thing ; ( 3 ) calling something t , saying ' that is t ' , must therefore be doing something other than reporting or describing ; ( 4 ) whatever is thereby done is an important part of the meaning of t .
before getting down to work , there are a few necessary program notes . searle speaks of the
classical speech act analysts
. since the 1950 ' s are only jarringly thought of as a classical period , i shall speak of the mid - ( 20th ) - century analysts . in doing so , i shall be retaining the idea of analysis although what was being done mid - century does not fit what g . e . moore or russell , the founders of analytic philosophy , would have thought of as analysis . analysis , an account of meaning , as understood both by searle and here , will have more in common with ryle ' s notion of logical geography and strawson ' s connective analysis . [ 7 ]
it will not be part of my project to explain and defend by name and citation those practitioners of mid - century analysis who were engaged in the ascriptivist pattern of thinking . i shall be referring only to the pattern without detailed concern for particular figures in its development and use .
the ascriptivist pattern as i set it out earlier can now be exhibited in terms of ' good ' . ( 1 ) ' good ' is , contrary to the traditional view , not the name of , does not refer to , a property , attribute , character , feature , of a thing ; ( 2 ) hence to call something good is not to report that it has the property of goodness , is not to describe the thing ; ( 3 ) what we are doing when we call something good is commending it ; ( 4 ) the notion of commendation is central to the meaning of ' good ' .
the rules of the game having been set out , it is time for the substance . the core of the critics ' position is a problem and a challenge . the problem : the ascriptivist pattern of analysis holds that ' that is good ' is , by meaning , a commendation ; but obviously when that same phrase is located in ' if ' clause there is no commendation ; yet ' good ' means the same in both constructions . the challenge : how is that possible ?
geach and searle and those who make the consequent semantics - pragmatics distinction agree that it is not possible – and hence hold that the commending cannot be involved in the meaning of ' good ' and must be allocated to some other feature of language than its semantics . on the other hand , whoever defends the pattern must show how it is possible that the word means the same in the different constructions and yet in only one of them does commendation occur . my complaint against the mid - century analysts is that they did not so much as attempt to show how that is possible . i shall be required to rectify that shortcoming in reviving the position .
searle introduces a test for the success of any analysis , for any account of the meaning of a term .
now , there is a condition of adequacy which any analysis of the meaning of a word must meet . . . . any analysis of the meaning of a word ( or morpheme ) must be consistent with the fact that the same word ( or morpheme ) can mean the same thing in all the grammatically different kinds of sentences in which it can occur . syntactic transformations of sentences do not necessarily enforce changes of meaning on the component words or morphemes of those sentences .
( speech acts , p . 137 )
given the problem situation , ( 1 ) what are the considerations offered by geach and searle to show that the ascriptivist pattern fails and ( 2 ) what efforts do they make to show that some other analysis , some other account of meaning , can succeed where the pattern fails ? both questions raise matters that are involved in updating the pattern . for reasons having to do with the aims of this paper , let me begin with the second question , an issue that may not seem the best place to start but pursuit of which reveals important matters .
before going further it is necessary to issue a warning . philosophical understanding of what it means to say that something is a predicate typically goes astray . historically , ' is a predicate ' has usually been treated as meaning ' names a property ' . so we find for instance , c . j . f . williams saying ( in connection with ' is true ' ) that
our main concern in this chapter is with whether ' - is true ' can properly be regarded as a predicate .
[ 9 ] to which the proper answer is ' of course it is a predicate – look up what a predicate is in any grammar book ' . but equally certainly what williams is doing is conflating , not idiosyncratically , ' predicate ' with ' name of a property ' . the question he is worrying about is whether ' true ' is the name of a property . ( his entire chapter illustrates over and over that conflation , even in connection with ' is good ' . )
for reasons that will emerge much later , i shall take it that when geach speaks of predication he must be treating ' predicate ' as a purely grammatical notion , not accepting the typical assumption that treats a predicate as ( necessarily ) a name for a property . and grammatically speaking he is quite correct : ' is good ' appears as a predicate in all the grammatical constructions .
geach is surely partly right : any full ( ? ) philosophical account of the meaning of ' good ' must notice that it is essentially a predicate– that we can say ' that is a good peach ' or ' the peach is good ' but cannot say ' that is a peach good ' or ' the good is peach ' . so any attempt to explain its meaning by a simple ' it is used to commend ' cannot be the full story of our understanding of what goodness is , of how ' good ' functions . on the other hand , geach ' s replacement explanation captures only part of the truth .
incidentally , nothing of geach ' s attempt to set out the meaning of the ' good ' across constructions survives into his second paper on the issues , the paper entitled ' assertion ' . perhaps he recognized its troubles .
unlike the case of ' good ' , searle needs to defend the possibility of meaning the same across all constructions for ' promise ' ( and for all the performatives . ) how does he show that ' promise ' passes the test , that it is possible for ' promise ' to mean the same in all the constructions whether or not a promise is being made ? his solution :
for example , when one says something of the form , ' if he promises that p , then so and so ' , one hypothesizes the performance of the act which he performs when he says something of the form , ' i promise that p ' .
( speech acts , p . 138 )
that completely fails to do the job of distinguishing between ' promise ' and ' good ' as he intends it to do . for the ascriptivist can say ' when one says something of the form
if the cake is good , then so and so
, one hypothesizes the performance of the act performed when someone says something of the form
that is good
. ' and so on through the various grammatical constructions .
does not searle thereby provide what was missing from the mid - century analyses , namely how to account for the sameness of meaning across all the constructions in which ' good ' can occur ? his attempt to show how ' promise ' means the same across the board has the same starting place as the standard ascriptivist position : that what is done in calling something t is the foundation for understanding the meaning of ' t ' where ever it occurs . contrary to geach , not all the constructions containing ' t ' are of equal importance in setting out the meaning of the term .
in doing that , the place to begin is by deferring geach ' s arguments and looking into searle first . in attempting to show that speech act analyses of words other than performatives are fallacious , searle offers the following argument :
but it is equally clear that the speech act analysis of the other words ; ' good ' , ' true ' , . . . etc . does not satisfy this condition [ of adequacy ] . consider the following examples : ' if this is good , then we ought to buy it ' , is not equivalent to ' if i commend this , then we ought to buy it ' . ' this used to be good ' is not equivalent to ' i used to commend this ' .
i wonder whether this is good ' is not equivalent to ' i wonder whether i commend this ' , etc . similar counter - examples will refute the [ other ] speech act analyses .
( speech acts , pp . 138 - 139 )
calling something good stands in contrast to talking about one ' s own response to the thing . the point of saying ' that is good ' is to get outside of oneself , to direct attention to the thing and its qualities rather than to oneself and one ' s response to it . both searle and the mid - century emotivists ( ayer , stevenson ) fail to notice that contrast when they assimilate ' that is good ' to ' i commend it ' or to ' i like it ' . that failure shows up explicitly when searle tries to paraphrase one of the other constructions , ' i wonder if that is good ' , as ' i wonder whether i commend that ' . searle takes that lack of equivalence to show that calling something good cannot involve commending . however , it should be taken to show that he misunderstands how the act of commending is related to the use of the word ' good ' .
for the ascriptivist the commendation is built into the act of calling something good and the aim in calling something good is not to talk about one ' s self but rather to be referring to the thing . to wonder whether something is good is to be wondering whether the thing is commendable and not to be considering whether i have commended it .
that realization supplies the clue as to how we should regard the disputed relation between the meaning of ' good ' in ' that is good ' and its meaning in its other possible occurrences , how the ascriptivist is to reply to the original challenge . when we say ' if that is good , then . . . ' we are saying ' if that is commendable , then . . . ' similarly , for the other constructions ( e . g . ' that used to be good ' means ' that used to be commendable ' ) . it is possible to have ' good ' mean the same in ' that is good ' and ' if that is good ' while being a commendation in one and not in the other : it is the notion of commendability that binds them together .
alexander miller in utilizing geach ' s objection holds that the ascriptivist position on the matter is comparable to ' my beer has a head on it ; if something has a head on it , it must have eyes and ears ; hence my beer has eyes and ears ' . [ 10 ]
the relevant comparison is more like this argument : ' if the pipe breaks , the room will be flooded ; the pipe broke ; hence the room is flooded ' . or ' if the pipe breaks , the room will be flooded ; the pipe is breaking ; hence the room is being flooded ' . or ' if the pipe were to break , the room would be flooded ; it did break ; hence the room is flooded ' . all of those arguments , despite the small changes in wording , are valid – because all the terms are part of the same families , exhibiting differences only in tenses .
c . j . f . williams , speaking for logic , puts it this way .
the last example shows that we [ logicians ] need not be pernickety about what counts as a repetition of the same sentence . . . . sometimes repetition of exactly the same words is idiomatically impossible or clumsy in english . . . . english idiom does not allow us to say ' percy said that charles would grow out of his shyness and charles would grow out of his shyness .
again :
but logicians . . . are as much entitled to take ' percy said that charles would grow out of his shyness and charles has grown out of his shyness ' as a substitution instance of ' percy said that p and p ' as they are to take ' she thought that barbara ought to pay her ' as a substitution instance of ' x thought that barbara ought to pay x ' without boggling at the change of case from ' she ' to ' her ' .
[ 11 ]
only if one is
pernickety
about sameness , only if one has extremely narrow ideas of what must be kept the same in argumentation , will one be inclined to regard the change from ' good ' as commending to ' good ' as commendable as a case of equivocation and thus the creation of an invalid argument . williams is right , logic is entitled to treat those arguments as valid – because they are valid and consequently their formal representation must treat them as valid . logicians , just as the rest of us , are entitled to reject geach ' s contention and accept the variation in terminology as legitimate when the terms are internally related , i . e . related in meaning , versions of the same concept .
the mid - century analysts did not attempt what needs to be done . for them it was a matter of insight that to understand ' good ' requires grasping its connection to commending . while insight in philosophy is not to be sneezed at ( although , with our heavy emphasis on argumentation , it typically is ) , nonetheless surely something can be said in favor of the claim over and above ' the criticism of it fails ' and ' don ' t you see ? ' .
it has long been recognized that moore ' s self - named naturalistic fallacy is mis - named . others have pointed out that he should have called it the definist fallacy . he was denying that it is possible to define ' good ' . any such a definition is intended to be reductionist : the word ' good ' would be held to mean the same as a word / phrase where the defining term is the name of , stands for a property . goodness , on that view , is identical with that property , is nothing other than , over and above , that property . ascriptivists , then and now , accept the moorean thesis that ' good ' cannot be defined , i . e . that it is not equivalent in meaning to any term designating a property , even in the very broad sense of ' property ' intended , and that consequently goodness is not a property of things .
so the outcome hinges on objections to defining ' good ' . if the definist project , and not just particular definitions , fails , then the idea that goodness is a property fails . moore , of course , came to the conclusion that ' good ' cannot be defined by employing the open - question argument : any attempt to define ' good ' fails because it will always make sense to ask ' it has the property p but is it good ? ' it is today widely accepted that the open - question argument does not do what moore assumed it did , namely provide a complete refutation of the idea that ' good ' can be defined . instead , it is merely the beginning of an extended and ramified discussion between supporters and opponents of the idea that ' good ' can be defined .
start here . although it is a clever move to have one ' s favored claim about some subject matter smuggled in as a matter of meaning , one must be suspicious about such definitions . why should not the ' definitions ' of ' good ' be regarded as substantial claims about what makes something , anything , good rather than as explications of the term ? there seems to be nothing in the definist literature addressing that question . it appears that the aim of the definist program , especially in its resurrected naturalistic ( scientistic ) form , is to get rid of , by reduction , a notion not amenable to scientific investigation .
it is often said that goodness is a moral concept .
moore sets out to argue that moral terms such as ' good ' are not definable . . . .
[ 14 ] but ' good ' is not a specifically moral term - it is applicable to items of many other kinds than to matters of morality . speaking of a good cigar or a good essay is as much relevant to the question of what ' that is good ' means , what its function is , as its reference to a person , action , etc . ( ' he is a good father ' , ' that was a good deed ' ) . in fact , given the recognition by oliver wendell holmes that hard cases make bad law , we can say that hard cases , matters of morality , make bad theses about meaning . to investigate the meaning of ' good ' we should chiefly concern ourselves with what it means to say , e . g . ' that is a good peach ' . however , the definitional enterprise does not do that . the great gap between the sorts of answers that that enterprise results in , whether naturalistic or theological , and what is going on when we consider whether a given peach is good produces deep suspicions about the legitimacy of the definist project .
as is widely recognized , what turns up when we think about what counts as a good peach are its properties ( flavor , texture , etc . ) . but when we also consider what counts , for example , as a good shortstop and what makes for a good philosophical essay , we quickly realize that there is no overlap in the properties cited in all the various cases . since none of those good - making properties can plausibly be taken as contained in the meaning of the word ' good ' - it is applicable to so many different kinds of thing - but are rather what is mentioned in the differing judgments of goodness about different kinds of things , to cigars and essays and shortstops , it certainly seems that goodness cannot be understood in terms of specific defining properties .
recalling that to talk of ( say ) a good philosophical essay in ordinary practice makes reference to characteristics of the essay , a further difficulty for the definist enterprise comes out . how do those various attempted definitions of ' good ' relate to the properties cited in our ordinary judgments of the goodness of a cake or a piece of philosophy ? are they being recommended as replacements ? are they what ' good ' really means contrary to our practice ? are they generalizations of what we are talking about when we cite the juiciness of the peach and the argumentation of the philosophical essay ? is it simply not recognized by the definist that we do make reference to such properties when we call things good ? once again , the status of the results of definist projects are not spelled out in the literature .
geach notices that from ' that is a yellow rose ' we can infer ' that is yellow ' but that from ' that is a large flea ' we cannot infer ' that is large ' . he holds that ' good ' follows the pattern of ' large ' and not of ' yellow ' : from ' he is a good assassin ' we cannot infer ' he is good ' simpliciter . it does not follow , of course , that ' good ' is not a property word , for then we would be committed to ' large ' not being a property word either : and it clearly is . but what we can conclude is that goodness is relative to the kind of thing being characterized as good . that means that there is no such property as goodness independently of the applicability of ' good ' to various kinds of things . as we have seen , what makes this kind of thing good is not what makes that kind of thing good . there is no property generally definable as constituting goodness . there is no form of the good .
there is another possible wrinkle in the definist research program . recently , perhaps from the anxiety that the open - question argument cannot be completely dismissed , that the moorean insistence that ' good ' does not mean ' p ' is nothing but conceptual confusion , some of today ' s definers have attempted to employ a different model of definition . rather than holding that ' good ' means
p ' , they have resorted to frege ' s sinn and bedeutung distinction . on that view , ' good ' and ' p ' do not mean the same – rather ' good ' and ' p ' have different senses but they refer to ( name , stand for ) the same property . [ 15 ]
that ' good ' is referential , is a property word , is simply assumed there as it was when the other version of definition was employed . the battery of arguments above to show that it is not the name of a property are not recognized . in consequence , the resort to the fregean model will not do to save the definist position .
moreover , because the good - making characteristics of a kind of thing are tied to the kind of thing it is , and are not a character applicable across the board which is attached to the word ' good ' , are not part of the meaning of ' good ' , there is no single mode of presentation for ' good ' , no sinn for ' good ' . hence ' good ' is a word with neither a sinn nor a bedeutung .
having now disposed of the traditional alternative to the thesis that commending is a central feature of the meaning of ' good ' , the time has come to take up the task of defending that thesis . i am simply ignoring another alternative , one that was also the off - spring of moore ' s anti - definist views , namely emotivism . the objections to that position are too powerful to take it seriously at this date .
let us return to geach ' s ' good and evil ' . the non - validity of the inference from ' she is a good player ' to ' she is good ' reminds us that what makes some kind of thing good varies radically from kind to kind and that there are no good - making characteristics that are applicable to everything that is good . geach is tempted by that fact to say that ' good ' has no meaning other than in ' a good k ' . but of course that isn ' t so . if it were , there would be no intelligibility in the fact that we use the same word ' good ' in connection with oranges , designs , helicopters and on and on . moreover , the word ' good ' would be enormously equivocal – and it is not .
geach , although tempted to talk as if ' good ' does not mean anything independently of its connection to kinds , realizes that won ' t work , no doubt for the above reasons . but if ' good ' means the same across kinds of thing , the problem of what that common meaning is rears its head . it would appear that here is where the ascriptivist idea that commending is central to the meaning of the term finds a place .
the line between semantics and pragmatics , where it is taken that a reference to deeds cannot be part of the meaning of a term , hangs on the geach - searle criticism . seeing that that criticism does not succeed means that the sharp line between meaning and what we do with words cannot be maintained . although some aspects of the use of a word may not fall into its meaning , some references to what we are doing must be located there . as wittgenstein was fond of saying in light of faust ' in the beginning was the deed ' .
2 . alexander miller , an introduction to contemporary metaethics , ( polity press , 2003 ) .
4 . h . l . a . hart , ' the ascription of responsibility and rights ' , proceedings of the aristotelian society new series , vol 49 ( 1948 - 49 ) , pp . 171 - 194 ; reprinted in anthony flew ed . , logic and language , 1st series , ( blackwell , 1951 ) .
5 . c . j . f . williams , what is truth ? , ( cambridge university press , 1976 , reprinted 2009 ) , p . 16 .
7 . ryle introduced the notion of logical geography as a replacement notion for the older idea that analysis was like chemical analysis , a breaking down of a substance into its ultimate parts . gilbert ryle , the concept of mind , ( hutchinson ' s university library , 1949 ) , p . 7 . strawson talks of connective analysis as a better way of conceiving of the activity of analysis than the old reductive version or ryle ' s logical geography or wittgenstein ' s therapeutic analogy . peter strawson , analysis and metaphysics , ( oxford university press , 1992 ) , chapter 2 .
12 . in treating intuition as a faculty , i am taking sides in a dispute concerning how to conceive of what moore meant by ' intuition ' . pursuing the dispute here would be too large a side - show .
13 . miller does not consider any other objections to giving a definition of ' good ' than the open question argument . the additional objections that i offer are not recognized and so not evaluated .
16 . robert arrington , rationalism , realism , and relativism : perspectives in contemporary moral epistemology , ( cornell university press , 1989 ) , p . 56 .
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anthropologie is an american clothing retailer that currently operates over 200 stores worldwide featuring a curated assortment of clothing , jewelry , intimates , home furniture and décor , beauty and gifts .

anthropologie is part of urbn brands , which includes urban outfitters , free people , bhldn and terrain .

anthropologie

sales were flat at just the anthropologie group compared with the same quarter last year . other anthropologie group brands are bhldn and terrain .
in 2015 , anthropologie customers spent an average of 75 minutes shopping in stores .
an anthropologie store in san francisco . ( david paul morris / bloomberg news )
anthropologie europe on twitter :
oh no ! @ itscarop please contact community @ anthropologie . eu , we ' ll try and resolve this for you !
kaia naturals juicy bamboo natural facial cleansing cloths , $ 15 . 50 ; at anthropologie
this holiday season , anthropologie dreamt up
aurora ,
silver ,
and
quinn .
introducing larger anthropologie stores is the latest in a series of moves by the retailer to show its willingness for risk .
anthropologie is a brand that says , ' we have a lot of different kinds of weird experiences . '
anthropologie is one of the original lifestyle brands whose unique lens on the world has served as a compass in our customers ' lives for nearly 24 years . unique as she is , our customer views anthropologie as a brand that truly gets her .
2 . the name anthropologie was inspired by richard hayne’s college degree in—you guessed it—anthropology , combined with his major in french .
the wonderful ea community has forwarded along a couple of amazing anthropologie diys — one for ourselves and one for the home .
oh no ! @ itscarop please contact community @ anthropologie . eu , we ' ll try and resolve this for you !
check out our favorite looks from the designer collaborations debuting tomorrow on anthropologie ' s brand new online platform made in kind .
i found a lovely anthropologie sweater in a thrift shop today with the anthro hang tag . i didn ' t see this label
still , it is troubling that anthropologie is still wrestling with these problems when it has been aware of them for a long time . a year ago , hayne told investors , “clearly , the task at hand for the anthropologie team is to improve the apparel assortment . ”
part of that final concept includes profiles of three imaginary anthropologie shoppers that catalog everything from what the girl ' s style is like to the type of music she listens to . this holiday season , anthropologie dreamt up
aurora ,
silver ,
and
quinn .
an example of the large - format anthropologie store , which will feature expanded offerings in many departments and a place to eat in some stores .
comparable retail segment net sales increased 2 percent at urban outfitters , were flat at the anthropologie group , and fell 2 percent at free people .
the first anthropologie store opened in wayne , penn . , in 1992 , in a terra - cotta building that had been a car dealership .
in an age where many companies are closing brick - and - mortar stores , anthropologie is focused on retail settings that attract legions of shoppers .
richard a . hayne , the chief executive of urban outfitters , was blunt in his assessment of anthropologie’s problem during a conference call with investors .
i love reading about projects like these ! ! i only wish i had the talent to create them myself . have you created any anthropologie diys ?
tap this watery blush onto the apples of your cheeks for a subtle flush . perricone md no blush blush , $ 35 , available at anthropologie .
what makes anthropologie ' s tactics different is that they ' re based on comfort and inclusivity . my colleagues have noted that
the feeling of anthropologie is like a warm bowl of oatmeal ,
and
the store feels like you ' re walking into a hug from your kindergarten art teacher .
david mccreight , president of urban outfitters inc . and ceo of anthropologie group , said the company is responding to customer demand by rolling out bigger stores .
simply put : it made an unforced fashion error . and now , anthropologie seems locked in a pattern of making the same mistake over and over again .
this lightweight gel contains papaya and grapefruit extracts to gently exfoliate your skin as you cleanse . mario badescu enzyme cleansing gel , $ 14 , available at anthropologie .
this pink - salt bath soak is packed full of soothing epsom salts to soothe tired muscles . leif hibiscus bath soak , $ 36 , available at anthropologie .
last night , i stopped by an exclusive blogger event at anthropologie ' s showroom to check out what they have in store for fall . besides the free sofi
we’ll be reaching for this body butter every time we want to escape to a cabana on the beach . kai body butter , $ 52 , available at anthropologie .
work a dollop of this lightweight cream through damp hair to moisturize , control frizz , and boost shine . rahua finishing treatment , $ 45 , available at anthropologie .
anthropologie is also incredibly strategic about its store blueprint ; furniture and racks must align at 35 - to - 40 - degree angles to create satisfying symmetry for its shoppers .
and anthropologie ' s lifestyle - first approach works . it is the strongest brand in its parent company ' s portfolio ; according to urban outfitters inc . ' s 2014 annual report , anthropologie ' s north american net sales accounted for approximately 39 % of the brand ' s consolidated net sales , which were just over $ 3 billion .
one spritz of this fresh fragrance transports us to springtime in an orange grove . pharmacia eau de parfum in fleur d ' oranger , $ 24 , available at anthropologie .
3 . anthropologie’s in - house collections are based around three imaginary women—each one with a name and characteristics that apply to the store’s central aesthetics : feminine , artistic , and linear .
the new anthropologie stores will measure 20 , 000 to 30 , 000 square feet , more than 21 / 2 times the typical size of the current ones . a larger anthropologie will open in king of prussia mall in the fall , and also in palo alto and walnut creek , both in northern california ; one will open in westport conn . , in spring 2017 .
but for all the quirks that make anthropologie the fascinating brand it is , lavinia says it always returns to one key aspect , which isn ' t even all that innovative : femininity .
you might have bought a dress on its website , or paged longingly through its catalog , or rifled through its quirky offerings in store—but there’s probably still a lot you don’t know about anthropologie .
calling all cat - eye fanatics : this pigmented black liner makes drawing crisp wings easy thanks to the user - friendly felt tip . eyeko eye do liquid eyeliner , $ 20 , available at anthropologie .
in another move to boost its lower performing brands , urban outfitters inc . on wednesday announced plans to roll out larger anthropologie stores during a first - quarter earnings call in which the company reported record sales .
i ' ve never been able to get a name for that one . there ' s another two i can ' t get the name of . i just put
anthropologie 66170
in the title .
the fruit enzymes and lactic acid in this mask gently exfoliate the skin , while cranberry - seed oil and coconut oil hydrate it . ren glycol lactic radiance renewal mask , $ 55 , available at anthropologie .
this finely milled , loose powder has a slight blurring effect when dusted all over the skin , and it never looks cakey or dry . w3ll people bio brightener invisible powder , $ 22 , available at anthropologie .
this brush blends pretty much any makeup product — liquids , creams , powders , you name it — into your skin with streak - free ease . artis oval 6 brush , $ 55 , available at anthropologie .
a sheer layer of this fluffy cream shadow is all you need to add a little definition to your lids before running out the door . rms beauty eye polish in solar , $ 28 , available at anthropologie .
while their sister company urban outfitters may be the ones better known for their designer collaborations ( with the likes of geren ford and rachel comey ) , anthropologie is finally jumping on the collaboration bandwagon in their own special , anthropologie - esque way . instead of launching the collaborations one at a time , they ' re debuting 11 of them at once through a new online platform called made in kind , which will go live on april 5 .
keep this portable blemish stick on hand to stop budding pimples before they form . it’s packed with acne - fighting zinc , salicylic acid , and witch hazel . indie lee blemish stick , $ 28 , available at anthropologie .
while their sister company urban outfitters may be the ones better known for their designer collaborations ( with the likes of geren ford and rachel comey ) , anthropologie is finally jumping on the collaboration bandwagon in their own special , anthropologie - esque way . instead of launching the collaborations one at a time , they & apos ; re debuting 11 of them at once through a new online platform called made in kind , which will go live on april 5 .
did an anthropologie enthusiast create a
personal shopping service
to scam trusting readers out of their money ? that ' s what some are claiming — and their accusations have rocked the weird world of
anthro - blogging .
the anthropologie line debuted in 1991 , and , according to a women’s wear daily article from that year , had “chiffon looks” for its first offerings and “solid and printed lambswool sweaters , miniskirts and leggings” for the fall and holiday seasons .
this sulfate - free shampoo is chock - full of activated charcoal to absorb any and all dirt and oil in the hair without making it feel stripped or dry . apotheke charcoal activated charcoal shampoo , $ 24 , available at anthropologie .
don’t get me wrong , i can find a way to spend absurd amounts of money just about anywhere things are sold , but i’m convinced that anthropologie’s beauty department was made to reel me in so they can take all my dollars .
shopping at anthropologie is an undeniably unique retail experience . the mood lighting , dreamy music , and handcrafted art pieces give the space an overwhelmingly homey feel—and that ' s very much on purpose . everything about anthropologie ' s stores is meticulously calculated . in an age where companies are closing brick - and - mortar stores and spending money on perfecting the e - commerce experience , anthro has its eyes focused on its retail settings and the sensory components that attract legions of dedicated shoppers .
the latest installment of anthropologie ' s made in kind designer collections hits stores today , and includes collections by new york hipster label timo weiland , tea - dress master tracy reese , los angeles indie boutique tenoversix , and artist sophie duran .
this is where the magic of anthropologie comes into play ,
erika lavinia , the brand ' s corporate display director , writes to me in an email .
colors are defined and materials are perfected creating examples of the overall vision , and then these concepts are passed off to the stores for execution . the feeling , mood , and personality of the home office concepts should be understood within each anthropologie location , but the details will make each and every one special .
executives said tuesday that they are taking steps to improve the clothing at anthropologie . they’ve reorganized their merchant teams and have added a new merchandise manager and three new design directors . they hope to see improvement in the back half of the year .
as the weather takes an icy - cold dive , we ' ll be reaching for oil - rich balms like this one to soothe our dry , wind - whipped lips . mini + merry lip balm , $ 12 , available at anthropologie .
purchased a beautiful kachel blouse the other day and did some research to find out where its sold . . anthropologie . maybe i ' ll have to trek to the mall one day and scan over the labels i can find at those popular stores !
anyone who ' s ever walked into an anthropologie store knows that the brand kills it when it comes to colorful , cozy clothing and vintage - inspired home goods . with all the ornate door knobs , chunky sweaters , and pattern - crazy bedding that fill the place , it ' s plenty easy to overlook the beauty aisle . but it makes sense that anthropologie ' s selection of beauty products is just as curated as everything else it carries . it turns out , an incredible array of beauty products lives within anthropologie ' s shelves that perfectly complement the brand ' s aesthetic . so if you dig flapper - era - inspired lipsticks , vintage packaging , and eco - friendly nail polishes , we suggest you take a look at these offerings asap .
melt one dollop of this oil - infused cleanser in the palms of your hands and rub over dry skin . the luxurious oil will whisk away every bit of even the most stubborn mascara . eve lom cleanser , $ 80 , available at anthropologie .
dried flowers , safflower oil , sugar , and vitamin e — these are just a few of the luxurious , skin - loving ingredients in this body polish . posies & co . body polish in fig blossom , $ 28 , available at anthropologie .
the first pair of larger anthropologie stores recently opened in portland , ore . , and in newport beach , calif . , and he said they received very enthusiastic responses . the stores have a full - service shoe salon , which has been a hit .
so , why are the clothes not cutting it ? in a research note , neil saunders , managing director of globaldata retail , may have hit on it : “anthropologie , ” he said , “is still a brand in search of a clear identity . ”
this scented sea - salt spray ( which also happens to be one of our favorites ) and body spray set will leave you smelling like a fresh flower from head to toe . olivine atelier you are loved set , $ 26 , available at anthropologie .
unlike traditional bar soaps , which can leave our skin feeling tight and dry post - shower , this one contains shea butter , colloidal oatmeal , and olive oil to soothe and hydrate . barr - co . marine soap , $ 8 , available at anthropologie .
the company , which also owns the urban outfitters and free people brands , said the enlarged anthropologie stores will feature expanded selections of home products , apparel , and shoes and accessories , including jewelry ; a petite shop ; and , in some cases , a dining experience .
anthropologie demonstrates a similar commitment to the unique with its catalogues . the brand doesn ' t just send out its periodical as a way to exhibit clothing . the booklet is a glimpse into a desired lifestyle . photo shoots take place in foreign markets , abandoned castles , and blooming fields . you ' ll never find an anthropologie item photographed against a white background ; anthro knows its shoppers are more likely to connect with a sweater that ' s worn by a backpacker trekking through a forest—even if you can ' t see the sweater in full .
we were first attracted to this hand cream because of its mondrian - inspired packaging . once we tried it , however , we fell in love with the hydrating ( yet non - greasy ) formula , too . fictions hand cream , $ 22 , available at anthropologie .
anthropologie’s fashion stumbles are somewhat confounding because the business is so smartly managed in other ways . the company has long said it thinks it should have no more than 250 brick - and - mortar outlets . it has been choosy about only being in the toniest and most productive shopping centers .
your lips are easy to neglect when it comes to sun protection . that ' s why we always have a tinted , spf - packed balm like this one ( it has spf 30 ) on hand . coola liplux lip balm in summer crush , $ 18 , available at anthropologie .
anthropologie ' s corporate creative director missy peltz tells racked that the brand aims for an
eclectic , rustic , modern
feel , and that the reason they focus so much on the physical details of the store is because they want to create a fantasy universe shoppers can get lost in .
but why make teddy bears out of thread spools and lanterns out of corks , only to have them live in the store for a short time ? ferrier believes this ephemerality is an important hook for customers . seasonal creations not only seduce shoppers , they convey anthropologie ' s dedication to originality .
is there a customer for $ 410 frocks that will end up smudged with sand , salt water and sunscreen ? you bet . but she’s shopping at calypso st . barth or barneys new york , or perhaps urltoken and matchesfashion . com . that big spender is not the traditional anthropologie customer .
not only will this pin cushion - inspired fragrance look adorable on top of your vanity , it ' ll smell so good on you , thanks to a blend of pink peppercorn , darjeeling tea , and energizing grapefruit . happ & stahns eau de parfum , $ 68 , available at anthropologie .
this isn ' t just any hair brush ; it ' s the iconic , universally loved mason pearson . why is it so good ? because it helps distribute oil evenly , so your blowout lasts longer , and add shine . mason pearson pocket brush , $ 105 , available at anthropologie .
chances are , you know someone who loves this popular tub of balm . ( perhaps beyoncé ? ) the cotton - seed - oil - infused formula hydrates lips , while imparting a soft flush of rosy color and shine . smith ' s rosebud salve , $ 6 , available at anthropologie .
true to anthropologie ' s buying strategy now , the designers comprise a mishmash of indie names : karen walker ( who ' s already previewed some of her anthro pieces ) , gregory parkinson , john patrick , samantha pleet , charlotte linton , pipit , rachel rose and british brand place nationale .
dab this creamy highlighter across your cheekbones , cupid’s bow , and down the bridge of your nose for a dewy , lit - from - within glow that’ll have everyone wondering if you’ve just come back from a beach vacation . wander beauty catch the light highlighter , $ 25 , available at anthropologie .
not only are ilia ' s lip balms packed with hydrating castor - seed oil and cocoa - seed butter , but they leave a semi - matte tint on the lips that ' s pretty and natural - looking . ilia tinted lip conditioner in blossom lady , $ 26 , available at anthropologie .
1 . anthropologie was actually founded by the same people who launched free people and urban outfitters —a man named richard hayne , his wife judy wick , and their business partner , scott belair . after opening fp and uo in the ' 70s , hayne and crew went on to open anthro in 1992 .
for troubled women’s clothier anthropologie , the first warning flags went up back in 2015 . sales were lackluster in the first quarter of the year , a slip that executives chalked up to a weak selection of dresses : some of the silhouettes were wrong , and so were the fabric choices and price points .
nathalie lete and rebecca rebouche are two examples of artists who fortuitously migrated into homewares . rebouche was originally commissioned to create an original painting for the anthropologie in her hometown of new orleans . soon , her works were also hanging in the rockefeller center location . the interactions spurred by those occurrences spawned a mini - collection of bedding , dinnerware , puzzles , and wall art . a similar story is true for lete , a french artist whose paintings were featured in a johnson - curated show at the rockefeller center location . now anthropologie commissions four of her paintings annually , which are featured on a collection of dinnerware .
i ' m a huge fan of eley kishimoto . i lived in london for two years - - where the design duo ' s pieces are in just about every indie boutique in the city - - so i spent plenty of time ogling their original prints and cute suits . that ' s why it ' s so exciting to see the results of the brand ' s collaboration with anthropologie . first launched last fall in london at anthropologie ' s regent street flagship , ek jam factory is now available at several us outposts , as well as on anthropologie . com . for spring , there are six sweet dresses and blouses . ( i ' m especially keen on the red sailor dress with birds . ) and it ' s priced quite reasonably - - $ 148 - $ 228 - - considering their dresses typically start at around $ 400 . here ' s a gallery of the six looks and their preliminary sketches .
the modern version of the journal , which was resurrected in 1962 with the subtitle ' international journal of the science of man ' by an internationally recognised czech anthropologist , professor jan jelínek , is founded on its long intellectual tradition from before the war , and dedicated to pursuing the same aims . under jan jelínek’s editorship , anthropologie continued to be a ' four field ' journal , publishing articles from all the sub - disciplines of anthropology . the name of the journal was modified once again in 2013 , when it became anthropologie - international journal of human diversity and evolution , in order to emphasize both its heritage and broad scope .
by the 1990’s , our original customer was entering a new life stage . she longed for a store to indulge her creative side . dick , realizing this wasn ' t an isolated phenomenon , went on to build a lifestyle brand that catered to creative , educated and affluent 30 - 45 year - old women . anthropologie was born and in 1992 , the first standalone store opened in a refurbished automobile shop in wayne , pennsylvania . anthropologie is a portal of discovery for our customer - offering her a shopping destination with a well - curated mix of clothing , accessories , gifts , and home décor that reflect her personal style and individual passions .
okay , this may be the most fragrant and fast - absorbing coconut oil we ' ve ever used . we love using this 100 % pure , raw coconut oil all over our bodies as a moisturizer and as a makeup remover that works wonders on waterproof mascara . cocovit coconut oil , $ 14 , available at anthropologie .
now that h & m ; , target , urban outfitters , topshop , macy ' s , kohl ' s and every store in the milky way have started shilling designer collaboration collections , fashionista reports that anthropologie is finally caving in and jumping on the cool kids ' bandwagon with its own bunch of sartorial pair - ups .
after the head design team at anthropologie’s philadelphia hq creates each season’s themes , they send photos and mood boards to each store’s design team and let them loose on ideas . “ [ each ] artist has the freedom to interpret the idea how they see fit for their particular architectural space and in [ a ] medium they feel good about , ” ketija ratniece , a visual display artist at anthropologie in san francisco , told the blog whimsical agnesiga . “that way each individual store does not look ‘cut & paste’ but still relate through the concept . ” ( every idea has to be approved by corporate before the store can run with it , though . )
most retailers operate with specific methods , chasing profit via products with the widest appeal . it’s a formula that ensures fun colors and funky styles are pushed aside in favor of the lowest common denominator . meanwhile , clothing and home retailer anthropologie has developed a dedicated and passionate audience by refusing to conform to the conventional wisdom of retailing .
the retailer’s parent company , urban outfitters , reported tuesday that it saw a 2 . 9 percent decrease in comparable sales — a measure of sales online and at stores open more than year — at the corporate division that is anchored by anthropologie . that’s the sixth consecutive quarter that sales have fallen or have been flat on this metric .
first up , kate from scathingly brilliant loved the look of anthropologie’s artist’s rendering dress but couldn’t find one for herself . so instead she made one ! using a white cotton dress as the base kate painted her own version of the dress and the results are incredible . get the full details on how she did it over on scathingly brilliant .
but the catalogs—which the company refers to as “journals” and are often shot in exotic locations—also sell a lifestyle .
retailers think catalogs are consumed by customers looking through them and deciding what they like and don ' t like ,
consumer psychologist adam ferrier told racked .
but catalogs are more used to create the brand ' s vibe . anthropologie ' s consumer is quite strange and aspirational . the brand comes to life in this type of catalog and lets the customer discover . ” susy korb , chief marketing officer of anthropologie , told the new york times , “of course we’re trying to sell clothes and accessories , but [ the catalog is ] more to inspire and engage . ”
according to racked , in 2014 , “anthropologie ' s north american net sales accounted for approximately 39 percent of the brand ' s consolidated net sales , which were just over $ 3 billion . ” its revenue per square foot is off the charts : the brand brings in $ 995 per square foot , compared to $ 696 for urban outfitters stores .
each anthropologie store has its own visual display team that follows creative direction from corporate . every season , a 13 - person unit at anthro ' s philadelphia headquarters develops a concept that then trickles down to the store level . local store display teams can interpret the concept however they choose , so long as they get the final stamp of approval from philly .
retailers think catalogues are consumed by customers looking through them and deciding what they like and don ' t like ,
ferrier adds .
but catalogues are more used to create the brand ' s vibe . anthropologie ' s consumer is quite strange and aspirational . the brand comes to life in this type of catalogue and lets the customer discover .
. “the mainstream culture focuses on what you have . recently , what you do has become more important . we wanted to respond to the shift toward ‘who you are . ’” anthropologie stores would also spark something transformational , he said , “where the visitor ' s imagination was just as important as that of the designer . ” they ' d also be interactive :
meanwhile , anthropologie also appears to be having success in getting its tentacles into new categories . its beauty division saw a “double digit” increase in comparable sales in the quarter , and its home category also continued to have momentum . its bridal concept , bhldn , continues to grow . that diversification of its offering could insulate it somewhat in the future from fashion fumbles .
compared to any other significant retailer , the women who shop at anthropolgie are extremely devoted and loyal to the brand . and while there’s a range of factors that foster this obsession , the root cause is that anthropologie does not merely look to artists with the intent of extrapolating an artistic identity . but the people of anthropologie listen to artists and dialogue with them . hoey summarized , “there’s a secret behind the products : the vast majority have stories behind them . it comes from authentic relationships with our internal design team , as well as artists and designers , in the world . the products we end up with end up becoming something no one has seen before . we spend a lot of time inventing things creatively . ” urltoken
urban outfitters was the first brand of the urbn portfolio to cross the atlantic in 1998 , opening a store on kensington high in london . eleven years later , anthropologie followed , opening a store on regent street , ( also in london ) that spans 11 , 000 square feet across three floors . soon after , the brand opened another location nearby on kings road .
the debut collaborators include karen walker , gregory parkinson , john patrick , samantha pleet and some lesser known names like charlotte linton , pipit , rachel rose and british brand place nationale , for whom this will be a first foray into the north american market . they & apos ; re anthropologie price points , so most dresses are in the $ 120 - $ 300 range .
they are : alaska , iowa , montana , new hampshire , north dakota , south dakota , vermont , west virginia , and wyoming . soon , that number will shrink to eight ; anthropologie will open a store in west des moines , iowa , in 2016 . the store is also international : there are 12 in canada , nine in the uk , and one in france .
it would seem these pieces represent an effort by the brand to lean into new trends , as voluminous and billowy silhouettes are lately taking center stage . but these garments would flatter only the narrowest range of body types and appeal to the most adventurous , deliberate fashionistas . in other words , anthropologie hasn’t figured out how to translate this new aesthetic into looks that work for a mass audience .
we ' ll be honest : we were first attracted to these nail polishes because of the adorable elephant on the label . but after wearing the shades for a few days , we fell in love with the brand ' s vegan and peta - approved formula and color selection , too . ella + mila elite nail polish in bad obsession , $ 10 . 50 , available at anthropologie .
though the size of the design team depends on the time of year and the size of the store , each includes a display coordinator , who brainstorms and constructs both the window and store displays , and a visual coordinator , who merchandises the displays when they’re done . many of anthropologie’s displays are handmade and created with found materials . the budget for the windows is as little as $ 5000 .
our customer is a creative - minded woman , who wants to look like herself , not the masses . she has a sense of adventure about what she wears , and although fashion is important to her , she is too busy enjoying life to be governed by the latest trends . to her , anthropologie is a portal of discovery—a brush with what could be . a place for her to lose—and find—herself .
for any vintage - makeup - lover , the crème de la crème of beauty finds is the perfect tube of red lipstick . although this one isn ' t truly vintage ( meaning you can actually use the lipstick ) , its art deco - inspired packaging feels weighty and luxurious . and the shade is everything you want in a red . albeit lipstick in scarlet , $ 18 , available at anthropologie .
here , you’ll find 30 of the very best products sold at anthropologie right now . they’re all made with the kind of quality organic ingredients you’d expect from a store that prides itself on its earthy mother nature relocates to williamsburg wares , and if you catch an iphone photo of them on your dresser in the right light , you may just be able to channel that baby - bird - feeding dream girl . ( that’s how social media works . )
meg hayne created urban outfitters private label division , which supported product exclusive to urban outfitters . demand was almost immediate and to meet this overwhelming need , she and dick decided to create a wholesale line . it was well - received , so much so that dick separated the businesses . for a while , the line took on many personalities : bulldog , ecote , cooperative , anthropologie and then in 1984 a new life was breathed into the name free people .
for anthropologie , the duo created exclusive candle tapers , handmade from antique pieces of porcelain , tin , and glass . the piece will be featured in an upcoming december catalog . it’s a perfect example of the competitive advantage johnson described when he said , “i do think that we are not really thinking about making huge quantities of things . we may only find a few hundred customers for certain items . but those are the items that get us really excited . ”
the patch nyc for anthropologie collaboration presented an opportunity to explore a range of home product categories including pillows , wallpaper , journals , ceramic mugs and dishes . john designed the grand game wallpaper pattern and the cover art for leather bound journals using don ' s original ink drawings . ceramic plates were made using new chevron art by don while john’s block print collages were transferred onto fabric for embroidered pillows and the pairs work in hand - built ceramics was re - interpreted into oversized ceramic mugs .
the journal anthropologie was founded by jindřich matiegka ( left picture ) , who was professor of anthropology at charles university in prague , on the suggestion of and with financial support from dr . aleš hrdlička ( right picture ) in 1923 . dr . matiegka strongly focused on publishing evolutionary topics written by a broad spectrum of scientists from across the world . he especially welcomed interdisciplinary papers from both the natural and social sciences , and had edited 19 volumes by 1941 , when nazi occupiers closed the university .
are you wondering why these rocks made it into our roundup of beauty products ? well , look closer . they ' re soap rocks — and they smell just as good as they look . plus , they ' re made with a soothing blend of aloe vera , chamomile , and almond oil , which makes them gentle and hydrating on the skin , despite their appearance ( not that we ' d ever dare to use them ) . molton geo soaprock , $ 12 , available at anthropologie .
anthropologie ' s windows can take up to a week to create , and each store is given a budget of less than $ 5 , 000 to work with . display coordinators will reuse wood from previous seasons , while buying things like sequins , paint , and ribbons , to build individual pieces from scratch . while it might be easier to buy items like fake birds and flowers from craft stores rather than making them by hand , gallenstein says the budget fits with the brand ' s overall vision .
the millennium brought with it a new shopping experience , one that wasn ' t a physical location . in 1998 , anthropologie released its first catalog with circulation more than doubling before the end of the year . in august of that same year , urltoken was established . site visits and online orders were well above initial expectations , which fueled investments in future e - commerce efforts . it wasn ' t long before our other brands opened a web store - urban outfitters in 2000 and free people in 2004 .
johnson also pointed out that each of the 160 anthropologie stores is able to customize the location’s visual presentations . there’s no formal set guide to ensure brand consistency for all products . and there’s no cooperate - style localization initiative , such as with macy’s . instead , the consistency is through a dazzling variety of eclectic styles . individual stores are empowered to shape direction based on the local clientele . so while the mood or products might be the same in dallas or chicago , the actual experience can vary dramatically .
in a release , anthropologie says made in kind will function as a gallery
housing multiple exhibitions per month , each dedicated to a single designer or concept .
there will also be editorial content to go along with the collaborations . additionally , select items will be available in stores and through the catalog . click through to see our favorite pieces from the new site , which you can shop this thursday . treasure by samantha pleet is shaping up to be our favorite , but they & apos ; re all real cute .
scented candles are stocked by the hundreds and sales associates even burn incense inside the stores before the doors open . the brand ' s merchandise is displayed not just on racks , but also on tables and quirky shelves , where items are stacked playfully . it ' s kind of like searching through your grandmother ' s closet . all of this is meant to promote customer creativity , jill gallenstein , anthropologie ' s eastern regional display manager , tells me one recent afternoon at the anthro store in new york city ' s rockefeller center .
anthropologie is one of the few stores that appeals to women of every age and every aesthetic—whether you go for the store ' s unique party - dress selection , its delicious sleepwear , or its expert curation of home and beauty goods , it’s impossible to leave the store ( or the web shop ) empty - handed . but despite this popularity , the brand’s history has been somewhat mysterious—until now . our friends at she finds have unearthed some really interesting facts about the brand and its origins , and we’ve rounded up our favorite tidbits for you !
anthropologie is a brand that says , ' we have a lot of different kinds of weird experiences . our handmade display is something no one else has , '
he says .
the craft efforts and the attention to detail creates a store experience where customers will want to take their time , look around at the quirky , and feel comfortable . people will buy into that promise of discovery and purchase a dress , even if it ' s on - trend and something everyone else has , because they feel what the brand stands for .
further , it’s a model which ensures unique and artistic items are developed for anthropologie . this often involves global traveling to find niche creators . after all , in order to create unique offerings , the company needs to search in unique places . the buying team will target a location , like new orleans or amsterdam . they then set about researching and networking to find the most skilled artisans and underground galleries . then city visits , as chronicled in the 2009 sundance channel series man shops globe , initiate an ongoing dialogue between buyers like johnson and localized craftspeople .
anthropologie was started in 1992 by philadelphia - based urban outfitters , inc . , the parent company of urban outfitters , free people , bhldn , and terrain . the brand has nearly 200 stores in the us , canada , and the uk , and caters to
sophisticated and contemporary women aged 28 to 45 ,
as the company puts it . anthro assumes its shoppers have plenty of disposable income , considering the $ 3 , 500 bicycles , $ 400 beverage dispensers , and $ 600 knits it sells . . . and let us not forget that $ 9 , 000 camping tent .
the story of giving . anthropologie has had the good fortune of teaming up with wonderful philanthropic partners over the years . while specific missions have varied , the common thread among our nonprofit partners is their commitment to improving our communities through art and creativity . past partners have included : achieveability ; alex’s lemonade stand ; the barnes foundation ; big brothers , big sisters ; donorschoose . org ; the girl scouts ; pspca ; and the vetri foundation for children , among others . together we have hosted hundreds of charitable events in our stores , with the goal of spreading goodwill within the communities where we live , work and play .
the sundance channel’s man shops globe followed keith johnson as he traveled the world looking for one - of - a - kind items to furnish and sell in stores , and objects that could be used to inspire collections . ( he traveled so much that his passport had 72 extra pages . ) johnston told fast company that , beyond quality , the perfect anthropologie find “has to have a lot of personality . it has to be homey . maybe it has a sense of humor . it has to have a little quirk . people respond to fun—a little whimsy goes a long way . ” man shops globe ran for two seasons .
take holiday 2014’s ladies , aurora , silver , and quinn . “the aurora concept is a holiday girl , so she has a lot of party dresses with shimmer and shine , ” jill gallenstein , anthropologie ' s eastern regional display manager , told racked . “silver . . . is more of a ranch girl . her color palette is much more about sunset tones , a lot of layering , heavier sweaters , a lot of capes . then quinn . . . she ' s more of a city girl . she ' s a little bit more pulled together , buttoned - up , so a little desk - to - dinner wear . ”
anthropologie leases rather than buys its spaces , and often chooses interesting and historic buildings over the mall , using each space’s quirks in the design of the store . “our visual philosophy is to make the store feel as if it ' s a one - off , to feel like it ' s the only one , ” former executive creative director kristen norris told the san francisco chronicle in 2004 . “we capitalize on existing architectural elements . all of the stores have a similarity to them , but none are exactly the same … we want each store to have a unique personality and cater to the customer . the customer in miami is not the customer in seattle . ”
on valentine’s day 2011 , we entered into the world of bridal with the launch of bhldn , offering brides - to - be a carefully edited assortment of wedding gowns , bridal party dresses , accessories , gifts and décor that caters to the bride in search of unusually beautiful things . starting out online only , bhldn opened its first free - standing location in houston , texas , in august 2011 . since then , the brand has expanded , opening another brick - and - mortar location in chicago and several shop - in - shops in anthropologie locations . in addition , bhldn now offers one - on - one styling services so that brides can create an event brimming with unique flair and personality .
the girls and their narratives make it easy to maintain a uniform concept from store to store—and it ' s also pretty fun . what did quinn study in school ? what books does aurora read ? these are the kinds of things store teams get to learn and interpret . and with aesthetic concepts that are purposely vague (
she likes to play with color ,
her clothes have a lot of asymmetry
) , they have a fair amount of creative freedom . these concepts are also meant to apply to all ages , which explains anthropologie ' s wide range in terms of customer age . looking around the store this particular afternoon , i see high schoolers , middle - aged professionals , and grandmothers browsing the exact same items .
to walk into an anthropologie store is to experience another state of consciousness . you ' ve never been the type to own a peruvian - style poncho , and yet , once you spot one artfully displayed on a mannequin , you suddenly imagine yourself swaddled in it while frolicking with alpacas on a hazy hilltop . you don ' t typically purchase girly kitchen gear , but one look at the brand ' s collection of ruffled aprons , whimsical doorknobs , and mismatched teacups inspires fantasies that involve conquering martha stewart baking projects on your next day off . and while you might fancy a fun accessory here or there , anthro ' s enticing selection of floppy hats , tassel necklaces , and jeweled barrettes means you ' re probably going to drop way more money than you ' d ever normally intend .
reese ' s line includes six brightly colored party dresses , perfect for the impending party season . like the timo weiland boys , reese found it easy to fuse her own label ' s aesthetic with anthropologie ' s .
it ' s sort of a natural match . i think that our customer has so much in common , it ' s like almost the same girl ,
she said .
i feel like the customer here , silhouette wise , loves a little fit and flare dress — so do i . we ' re girls ! not just girlie girls , but people who embrace color , are playful . . . not so sober and overly serious . i think that we share a certain spirit .
click over to lucky to shop . to see everything , visit urltoken
consider , for example , a prevailing trend for collaboration in retail : the famous guest designer program—think karl lagerfeld for h & m or macy’s , target’s collaborations with missoni and jason wu , or uniqlo’s guest designer program with the likes of jil sander and opening ceremony . anthropologie’s approach stands in marked contrast to these models . the method is dictated , in part , by johnson . he curates seasonal gallery shows with small groups of artists . the items could be principally fine arts , such as paintings , small crafts or sculpture ; or he might select more functional goods like chairs or bowls . those works then migrate or inform products in the actual stores . it could mean a sketch or drawing ends up on dinner plates or stationary , or a handmade line of furniture finds a larger audience .
cohesiveness comes from the layout and organization of each store , which is meant to mimic a private home . the store’s team creates a series of themed “ vignettes ”—a bedroom or bathroom , for example—that put anthropologie’s merchandise into context . at the front of the store is typically a garden or outdoor entertaining vignette , then dining and kitchen areas , followed by bath and bed . each area tells a story for the customer to explore and discover , and following the movements of going through a home - like layout will help her to “decompress , as you do in your own home , ” norris told the san francisco chronicle . the overall effect , norris said , is that “by the time you get to the back of the store , you ' re as relaxed as you would be by the time you get to bed . ”
in 1971 , wick and hayne got divorced , and belair graduated from wharton and moved on to a wall street career , leaving the free people ' s shop behind . but hayne stayed with the business , and in 1975 , he relocated to a bigger space and changed the store ' s name to urban outfitters , partially in response to the end of the vietnam war . “ [ the war ] had been incredibly divisive , and there was just this amazing change of mood , ” he told philadelphia weekly . “the name ‘free people’ had some political connotations , and they were growing tired . . . it happened to be the time when we were just putting together the deal to move to a much larger space and felt that , in conjunction with that , we should change our name . ” later , hayne would bring back free people , and create anthropologie , under the urban outfitters , inc . umbrella .
our story ours is a tale of our customer . and how listening—really , truly listening—does right by her : then , now and evermore .
our product offering consists of women’s apparel and accessories , intimates , home furniture and décor , beauty and gifts . each caters to the lifestyle of our five muses : soft and delicate ; boho chic ; easy cool ; elegant classic ; and modern sporty . request a catalog here .
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the year was 1970 . dick hayne was just 23 years old when he and college roommate scott belair came up with the idea to open a retail store . belair was in search of a topic for an entrepreneurial class he was taking at the time . the first store , originally called free people , was located in a small space across the street from the university of pennsylvania . its mission was to provide second - hand clothing , furniture , jewelry and home décor for college - aged customers in a casual fun environment .
since the first store opened in west philadelphia we continually strive to connect with our customers through unique products and engaging store design . instead of transforming buildings into something new , we preserve their original features , a trait that has become our signature look . we strip back paint to its first layer , expose brick walls , and use original pieces as displays and fixtures . our approach goes beyond historical preservation – it’s about maintaining a layered history , but infusing a new , fresh atmosphere .