Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reply to Machina and Deutsch on vagueness, ignorance, and margins for error

  • Published:
Acta Analytica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In their paper “Vagueness, Ignorance, and Margins for Error” Kenton Machina and Harry Deutsch criticize the epistemic theory of vagueness. This paper answers their objections. The main issues discussed are: the relation between meaning and use; the principle of bivalence; the ontology of vaguely specified classes; the proper form of margin for error principles; iterations of epistemic operators and semantic compositionality; the relation or lack of it between quantum mechanics and theories of vagueness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Bibliography

  • Fagin, Ronald, Halpern, Joseph, Moses, Yoram and Vardi, Moshe. [1995] Reasoning about Knowledge. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gómez-Torrente, Mario. [2002] ‘Vagueness and margin for error principles’. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 64: 107–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graff, Delia. [2002] ‘An anti-epistemicist consequence of margin for error semantics for knowledge’. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 64: 127–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Machina, Kenton, and Deutsch, Harry. [2002] ‘Vagueness, ignorance, and margins for error’. Acta Analytica, this volume.

  • Williamson, Timothy. [1992] ‘Inexact knowledge’. Mind 101: 217–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, Timothy. [1994] Vagueness. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, Timothy. [1997] ‘Imagination, stipulation and vagueness’, in E. Villanueva (ed.), Philosophical Issues 8: Truth. Atascadero, CA: Ridgeview.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, Timothy. [2002] ‘Epistemicist models: comments on Gómez-Torrente and Graff’. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 64: 143–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oxford University, New College, OX1 3 BN, Oxford, U. K.

    Timothy Williamson

Authors
  1. Timothy Williamson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williamson, T. Reply to Machina and Deutsch on vagueness, ignorance, and margins for error. Acta Analytica 17, 47–61 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12136-002-1003-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12136-002-1003-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation