Context-Dependence and the Sorites
| Abstract | In Section 1 we describe the Sorites paradox and lay out options for a solution. In Section 2 we consider approaches which deny that all premises are true, and note that these solutions all seem open to a certain serious objection. In Section 3 we note a problem for the principle of transitivity of the conditional and present a contex- tualist resolution of the problem, according to which the “counterexamples” to transitivity involve the informal fallacy of shifting the context. In Section 4 we consider the possibility of applying the contextualist resolution of the general transitivity puzzle to Sorites arguments in particular, discussing the views of Kamp, Pinkal and Soames. Our negative conclusion, developed in Section 5, is that the paradoxes can be formulated in a way that does not commit the informal fallacy: context is held fixed. In the final section, we suggest a different defense against the objection used in Section 2. | |||||||||
| Keywords | No keywords specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Categories | No categories specified (fix it) | |||||||||
| Options |
|
|||||||||
Download options| PhilPapers Archive |
Upload a copy of this paper Check publisher's policy on self-archival Papers currently archived: 5,672 |
| External links |
  Try with proxy. |
| Through your library | Only published papers are available at libraries |
Similar books and articlesPeter Pagin (2012). A Note on the Phenomenal Sorites. Croatian Journal of Philosophy 12 (3):519-524.
Richard DeWitt (1992). Remarks on the Current Status of the Sorites Paradox. Journal of Philosophical Research 17 (1):93.
Jason Stanley (2000). Context and Logical Form. Linguistics and Philosophy 23 (4):391--434.
Jason Stanley (2003). Context, Interest Relativity and the Sorites. Analysis 63 (4):269–281.
Ofra Magidor (2012). Strict Finitism and the Happy Sorites. Journal of Philosophical Logic 41 (2):471-491.
Susanne Bobzien (2013). Higher‐Order Vagueness and Borderline Nestings: A Persistent Confusion. Analytic Philosophy 54 (1):1-43.
Esteban Céspedes (2011). Extended Knowledge and Causal Dependence. Iris. European Journal of Philosophy and Public Debate 3 (6):55-67.
Imogen Dickie (forthcoming). The Sortal Dependence of Demonstrative Reference. European Journal of Philosophy.
Raymond M. Smullyan (1991). Some Unifying Fixed Point Principles. Studia Logica 50 (1):129 - 141.
R. K. Mishra (2011). The Whole Being: A Journey Towards Harmony and Happiness. Rupa Publications India in Association with Brahma Vidya Kendra.
Lon A. Berk (2004). The Liar, Context and Logical Form. Journal of Logic, Language and Information 13 (3):267-286.
Rosanna Keefe (2007). Vagueness Without Context Change. Mind 116 (462):275-292.
Rosanna Keefe (2011). Phenomenal Sorites Paradoxes and Looking the Same. Dialectica 65 (3):327-344.
Analytics
Monthly downloads |
Added to index2010-12-22Total downloads12 ( #93,337 of 549,069 )Recent downloads (6 months)1 ( #63,185 of 549,069 )How can I increase my downloads? |
My notes
Discussion
