Tahko , T 2009 , ' Against the Vagueness Argument ' , Philosophia : Philosophical quarterly of Israel , vol. 37 , no. 2 , pp. 335-340 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-008-9172-2
Title: | Against the Vagueness Argument |
Author: | Tahko, Tuomas |
Contributor organization: | Department of Philosophy (-2009) Theoretical Philosophy |
Date: | 2009 |
Language: | eng |
Number of pages: | 6 |
Belongs to series: | Philosophia : Philosophical quarterly of Israel |
ISSN: | 0048-3893 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-008-9172-2 |
URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/27358 |
Abstract: | In this paper I offer a counterexample to the so called vagueness argument against restricted composition. This will be done in the lines of a recent suggestion by Trenton Merricks, namely by challenging the claim that there cannot be a sharp cut-off point in a composition sequence. It will be suggested that causal powers which emerge when composition occurs can serve as an indicator of such sharp cut-off points. The main example will be the case of a heap. It seems that heaps might provide a very plausible counterexample to the vagueness argument if we accept the idea that four grains of sand is the least number required to compose a heap—the case has been supported by W. D. Hart. My purpose here is not to put forward a new theory of composition, I only wish to refute the vagueness argument and point out that we should be wary of arguments of its form. |
Subject: |
611 Philosophy
vagueness composition Merricks heap sorites causal powers |
Peer reviewed: | Yes |
Usage restriction: | openAccess |
Self-archived version: | publishedVersion |
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