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Single Idea 21625
[filed under theme 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / d. Vagueness as linguistic
]
Full Idea
Vagueness remains even when the context is fixed. In principle, a vague word might exhibit no context dependence whatsoever. ...For example, a dispute over whether someone has left a 'heap' of sand on the floor.
Gist of Idea
The vagueness of 'heap' can remain even when the context is fixed
Source
Timothy Williamson (Vagueness [1994], 7.7)
Book Ref
Williamson,Timothy: 'Vagueness' [Routledge 1996], p.215
A Reaction
A fairly devastating rebuttal of what seems to be David Lewis's view. He talks of something being 'smooth' depending on context.
Related Ideas
Idea 9057
Vagueness is semantic indecision: we haven't settled quite what our words are meant to express [Lewis]
Idea 9671
Whether or not France is hexagonal depends on your standards of precision [Lewis]
The
18 ideas
with the same theme
[vagueness as indecision about word meanings]:
17431
|
Vagueness is incomplete definition
[Frege, by Koslicki]
|
9051
|
Since natural language is not precise it cannot be in the province of logic
[Russell, by Keefe/Smith]
|
9054
|
Vagueness is only a characteristic of representations, such as language
[Russell]
|
19042
|
Terms learned by ostension tend to be vague, because that must be quick and unrefined
[Quine]
|
8180
|
'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
|
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]
|
21617
|
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
|
The vagueness of 'heap' can remain even when the context is fixed
[Williamson]
|
11016
|
Would a language without vagueness be usable at all?
[Read]
|