Vagueness and logic

Philosophy of Science 6 (2):163-180 (1939)
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Abstract

As is rather generally admitted today, the terms of our language in scientific as well as in everyday use, are not completely precise, but exhibit a more or less high degree of vagueness. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the consequences of this circumstance for a series of questions which belong to the field of logic. First of all, the meaning and the logical status of the concept of vagueness will be analyzed; then we will try to find out whether logical terms are free from vagueness, and whether vagueness has an influence upon the validity of the customary principles of logic; finally, the possibilities of diminishing the vagueness of scientific concepts by suitable logical devices will be briefly dealt with. As starting point for the subsequent considerations we choose the clear and stimulating analysis of the concept of vagueness which has recently been carried out by Max Black ([1]) and which has suggested the considerations of this paper

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Citations of this work

On a Straw Man in the Philosophy of Science - A Defense of the Received View.Sebastian Lutz - 2012 - Hopos: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science 2 (1):77–120.
Goodman’s “New Riddle‘.Branden Fitelson - 2008 - Journal of Philosophical Logic 37 (6):613-643.
Intransitivity and vagueness.Joseph Y. Halpern - 2008 - Review of Symbolic Logic 1 (4):530-547.
Vagueness And The Sorites Paradox.Kirk Ludwig & Greg Ray - 2002 - Noûs 36 (s16):419-461.

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References found in this work

Philosophy and Logical Syntax. [REVIEW]E. N. & Rudolf Carnap - 1935 - Journal of Philosophy 32 (13):357.
Vagueness. An exercise in logical analysis.Max Black - 1937 - Philosophy of Science 4 (4):427-455.
International Encyclopedia of Unified Science.Otto Neurath, Rudolph Carnap & Charles W. Morris - 1957 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 8 (31):256-257.

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