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Single Idea 9776

[filed under theme 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / e. Higher-order vagueness ]

Full Idea

There is a possibility of 'higher-order vagueness'. The vague may be vague, or vaguely vague, and so on. If J has few hairs on his head than H, then he may be a borderline case of a borderline case.

Gist of Idea

A thing might be vaguely vague, giving us higher-order vagueness

Source

Kit Fine (Vagueness, Truth and Logic [1975], 5)

Book Ref

'Vagueness: a Reader', ed/tr. Keefe,R /Smith,P [MIT 1999], p.140


A Reaction

Such slim grey areas can also be characterised as those where you think he is definitely bald, but I am not so sure.


The 11 ideas from 'Vagueness, Truth and Logic'

Study vagueness first by its logic, then by its truth-conditions, and then its metaphysics [Fine,K]
Vagueness is semantic, a deficiency of meaning [Fine,K]
A vague sentence is only true for all ways of making it completely precise [Fine,K]
Logical connectives cease to be truth-functional if vagueness is treated with three values [Fine,K]
Vagueness can be in predicates, names or quantifiers [Fine,K]
Meaning is both actual (determining instances) and potential (possibility of greater precision) [Fine,K]
Logic holding between indefinite sentences is the core of all language [Fine,K]
With the super-truth approach, the classical connectives continue to work [Fine,K]
Borderline cases must be under our control, as capable of greater precision [Fine,K]
Excluded Middle, and classical logic, may fail for vague predicates [Fine,K]
A thing might be vaguely vague, giving us higher-order vagueness [Fine,K]