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Single Idea 9055

[from 'Intro: Theories of Vagueness' by R Keefe / P Smith, in 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / c. Vagueness as ignorance ]

Full Idea

A key question for the epistemic view of vagueness is: why are we ignorant of the facts about where the boundaries of vague predicates lie?

Gist of Idea

The epistemic view of vagueness must explain why we don't know the predicate boundary

Source

R Keefe / P Smith (Intro: Theories of Vagueness [1997], §2)

Book Reference

'Vagueness: a Reader', ed/tr. Keefe,R /Smith,P [MIT 1999], p.19


A Reaction

Presumably there is a range of answers, from laziness, to inability to afford the instruments, to limitations on human perception. At the limit, with physical objects, how do we tell whether it is us or the object which is afflicted with vagueness?