Single Idea 18839

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

Full Idea

A borderline red-orange object satisfies the disjunctive predicate 'red or orange', even though it satisfies neither 'red' or 'orange'. When applied to adjacent bands of colour, the disjunction 'sweeps up' objects which are reddish-orange.

Gist of Idea

An object that is not clearly red or orange can still be red-or-orange, which sweeps up problem cases

Source

Ian Rumfitt (The Boundary Stones of Thought [2015], 8.5)

Book Reference

Rumfitt,Ian: 'The Boundary Stones of Thought' [OUP 2015], p.47


A Reaction

Rumfitt offers a formal principle in support of this. There may be a problem with 'adjacent'. Different colour systems will place different colours adjacent to red. In other examples the idea of 'adjacent' may make no sense. Rumfitt knows this!