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Epistemicism and the Combined Spectrum
Author(s) -
Alter Torin,
Rachels Stuart
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
ratio
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-9329
pISSN - 0034-0006
DOI - 10.1111/j.0034-0006.2004.00252.x
Subject(s) - indeterminacy (philosophy) , vagueness , epistemology , argument (complex analysis) , philosophy , normative , determinacy , sort , personhood , computer science , mathematics , linguistics , mathematical analysis , biochemistry , chemistry , information retrieval , fuzzy logic
Derek Parfit's combined‐spectrum argument seems to conflict with epistemicism, a viable theory of vagueness. While Parfit argues for the indeterminacy of personhood, epistemicism denies indeterminacy. But, we argue, the linguistically based determinacy that epistemicism supports lacks the sort of normative or ontological significance that concerns Parfit. Thus, we reformulate his argument to make it consistent with epistemicism. We also dispute Roy Sorensen's suggestion that Parfit's argument relies on an assumption that fuels resistance to epistemicism, namely, that ‘the magnitude of a modification must be proportional to its effect.’