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Single Idea 15538
[filed under theme 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / d. Vagueness as linguistic
]
Full Idea
Semantic indecision will suffice to explain the phenomenon of vagueness. [note] Provided that there exist the many precisifications for us to be undecided between. If you deny this, you will indeed have need of vague objects.
Clarification
A 'precisification' is one way of making a vague thing precise
Gist of Idea
Semantic indecision explains vagueness (if we have precisifications to be undecided about)
Source
David Lewis (Many, but almost one [1993], 'Two solutions')
Book Ref
Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.170
A Reaction
[He mentions Van Inwagen 1990:213-83] There seem to be three solutions to vague objects: that they really are vague, that they are precise but we can't know precisely, or Lewis's view. I like Lewis's view. Do animals have any problem with vagueness?
The
18 ideas
with the same theme
[vagueness as indecision about word meanings]:
17431
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Vagueness is incomplete definition
[Frege, by Koslicki]
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9051
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Since natural language is not precise it cannot be in the province of logic
[Russell, by Keefe/Smith]
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9054
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Vagueness is only a characteristic of representations, such as language
[Russell]
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19042
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Terms learned by ostension tend to be vague, because that must be quick and unrefined
[Quine]
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8180
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'That is red or orange' might be considered true, even though 'that is red' and 'that is orange' were not
[Dummett]
|
9052
|
Vague predicates lack application; there are no borderline cases; vague F is not F
[Unger, by Keefe/Smith]
|
15538
|
Semantic indecision explains vagueness (if we have precisifications to be undecided about)
[Lewis]
|
9057
|
Vagueness is semantic indecision: we haven't settled quite what our words are meant to express
[Lewis]
|
9671
|
Whether or not France is hexagonal depends on your standards of precision
[Lewis]
|
16458
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Semantic vagueness involves alternative and equal precisifications of the language
[Lewis]
|
17582
|
Singular terms can be vague, because they can contain predicates, which can be vague
[Inwagen]
|
12023
|
Vagueness problems arise from applying sharp semantics to vague languages
[Forbes,G]
|
9768
|
Vagueness is semantic, a deficiency of meaning
[Fine,K]
|
21614
|
The 'nihilist' view of vagueness says that 'heap' is not a legitimate concept
[Williamson]
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21617
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We can say propositions are bivalent, but vague utterances don't express a proposition
[Williamson]
|
21618
|
If the vague 'TW is thin' says nothing, what does 'TW is thin if his perfect twin is thin' say?
[Williamson]
|
21625
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The vagueness of 'heap' can remain even when the context is fixed
[Williamson]
|
11016
|
Would a language without vagueness be usable at all?
[Read]
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