Single Idea 16208

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / f. Supervaluation for vagueness]

Full Idea

Supervaluationists take a present-tense predication as concerning a single, but vaguely specified, moment. …It is indeterminate which of a range of moments enters into the truth conditions, but it is true if satisfied by every member of the range.

Gist of Idea

Supervaluation refers to one vaguely specified thing, through satisfaction by everything in some range

Source

Katherine Hawley (How Things Persist [2001], 2.7)

Book Reference

Hawley,Katherine: 'How Things Persist' [OUP 2004], p.58


A Reaction

She is discussing stage theory, but this is a helpful clarification of the idea of supervaluation. Something can be satisfied by a whole bunch of values, even though you are not sure which one.