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Single Idea 19042

[from 'What Price Bivalence?' by Willard Quine, in 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / d. Vagueness as linguistic ]

Full Idea

A term is apt to be vague if it is to be learned by ostension, since its applicability must admit of being judged on the spot and so cannot hinge of fine distinctions laboriously drawn.

Clarification

'Ostension' is by picking out an instance

Gist of Idea

Terms learned by ostension tend to be vague, because that must be quick and unrefined

Source

Willard Quine (What Price Bivalence? [1981], p.32)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Theories and Things' [Harvard 1981], p.32


A Reaction

[Quine cites C. Wright for this] Presumably precision can steadily increased by repeated ostension. After the first 'dog' it's pretty vague; after hundreds of them we are pretty clear about it. Long observation of borderline 'clouds' could do the same.