TY - JOUR
T1 - Language, thought and the epistemic theory of vagueness
AU - Jackson, Frank
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - There are borderline cases of baldness, cases where we are in principle unable to say whether or not a subject is or is not bald. According to the epistemic theory of vagueness, when X is on the borderline, 'X is bald' either is true or is false, and X either definitely is or definitely is not bald, though we cannot determine which it is. There is, that is, such a thing as the correct verdict but we cannot tell which one it is. I argue that the role of language in communicating our thought about how things are makes a strong argument against this theory.
AB - There are borderline cases of baldness, cases where we are in principle unable to say whether or not a subject is or is not bald. According to the epistemic theory of vagueness, when X is on the borderline, 'X is bald' either is true or is false, and X either definitely is or definitely is not bald, though we cannot determine which it is. There is, that is, such a thing as the correct verdict but we cannot tell which one it is. I argue that the role of language in communicating our thought about how things are makes a strong argument against this theory.
KW - Epistemic theory of vagueness
KW - Meaning and use
KW - Vagueness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=23744476075&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0271-5309(02)00007-1
DO - 10.1016/S0271-5309(02)00007-1
M3 - Article
SN - 0271-5309
VL - 22
SP - 269
EP - 279
JO - Language and Communication
JF - Language and Communication
IS - 3
ER -