Supervaluationism is a respected theory of vagueness beca... — Carmelics

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Supervaluationism is a respected theory of vagueness because indecision about meaning can be both intentional and functional.

Philosophy of Language

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Reasons For

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Reason for

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1.Expressivists can explain how supervaluationism developed into the most respected theory of vagueness.
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2.Supervaluationists hold that speakers fill in meanings as they go along in light of new information and interests, rather than committing prematurely.
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3.This intentional indecision is a functional feature of language use, not a defect.
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Reasons Against

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Reason against 1 of 2

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1.Supervaluationism collapses under the 'higher-order vagueness' problem: the meta-language used to define 'precisifications' is itself vague.
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2.If the boundary between admissible and inadmissible precisifications is vague, supervaluationism generates the very indeterminacy it purports to resolve.
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3.Williamson (1994) demonstrated that this regress cannot be halted without positing sharp boundaries the theory was designed to avoid.
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Reason against 2 of 2

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