more from Mark Sainsbury

Single Idea 8984

[catalogued under 9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / e. Vague objects]

Full Idea

Vague concepts are boundaryless, ...and the manifestations are an unwillingness to draw any such boundaries, the impossibility of identifying such boundaries, and needlessness and even disutility of such boundaries.

Gist of Idea

If concepts are vague, people avoid boundaries, can't spot them, and don't want them

Source

Mark Sainsbury (Concepts without Boundaries [1990], §5)

Book Reference

'Vagueness: a Reader', ed/tr. Keefe,R /Smith,P [MIT 1999], p.257


A Reaction

People have a very fine-tuned notion of whether the sharp boundary of a concept is worth discussing. The interesting exception are legal people, who are often forced to find precision where everyone else hates it. Who deserves to inherit the big house?