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Single Idea 16460
[filed under theme 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / b. Vagueness of reality
]
Full Idea
The correct interpretation is that Evans trusts his reader (unwisely) to take for granted that there are vague identity statements, that a proof of the contrary cannot be right, and that the vagueness-in-describing view affords a diagnosis of the fallacy.
Gist of Idea
Evans assumes there can be vague identity statements, and that his proof cannot be right
Source
report of Gareth Evans (Can there be Vague Objects? [1978]) by David Lewis - Vague Identity: Evans misunderstood p.319
Book Ref
'Vagueness: a Reader', ed/tr. Keefe,R /Smith,P [MIT 1999], p.319
A Reaction
[Lowe 199:11 is a culprit!] Lewis put this interpretation to Evans, who replied 'Yes, yes, yes!'.
Related Ideas
Idea 16458
Semantic vagueness involves alternative and equal precisifications of the language [Lewis]
Idea 16457
There clearly are vague identity statements, and Evans's argument has a false conclusion [Evans, by Lewis]
The
23 ideas
from Gareth Evans
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9041
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The Causal Theory of Names is wrong, since the name 'Madagascar' actually changed denotation
[Evans]
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9038
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We must distinguish what the speaker denotes by a name, from what the name denotes
[Evans]
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5823
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The intended referent of a name needs to be the cause of the speaker's information about it
[Evans]
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9039
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If descriptions are sufficient for reference, then I must accept a false reference if the descriptions fit
[Evans]
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9040
|
Charity should minimize inexplicable error, rather than maximising true beliefs
[Evans]
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9043
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We use expressions 'deferentially', to conform to the use of other people
[Evans]
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5824
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How can an expression be a name, if names can change their denotation?
[Evans]
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9042
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A private intention won't give a name a denotation; the practice needs it to be made public
[Evans]
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5825
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Speakers intend to refer to items that are the source of their information
[Evans]
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7639
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The Homunculus Fallacy explains a subject perceiving objects by repeating the problem internally
[Evans]
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14895
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'Superficial' contingency: false in some world; 'Deep' contingency: no obvious verification
[Evans, by Macià/Garcia-Carpentiro]
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11881
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Rigid designators can be meaningful even if empty
[Evans, by Mackie,P]
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16129
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Evans argues (falsely!) that a contradiction follows from treating objects as vague
[Evans, by Lowe]
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16459
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Is it coherent that reality is vague, identities can be vague, and objects can have fuzzy boundaries?
[Evans]
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16460
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Evans assumes there can be vague identity statements, and that his proof cannot be right
[Evans, by Lewis]
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16457
|
There clearly are vague identity statements, and Evans's argument has a false conclusion
[Evans, by Lewis]
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14484
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If a=b is indeterminate, then a=/=b, and so there cannot be indeterminate identity
[Evans, by Thomasson]
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16224
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There can't be vague identity; a and b must differ, since a, unlike b, is only vaguely the same as b
[Evans, by PG]
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12580
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Experiences have no conceptual content
[Evans, by Greco]
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23794
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Some representational states, like perception, may be nonconceptual
[Evans, by Schulte]
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12575
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Concepts have a 'Generality Constraint', that we must know how predicates apply to them
[Evans, by Peacocke]
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7643
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We have far fewer colour concepts than we have discriminations of colour
[Evans]
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16366
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The Generality Constraint says if you can think a predicate you can apply it to anything
[Evans]
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