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The Square Circle
Author(s) -
Angere Staffan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
metaphilosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1467-9973
pISSN - 0026-1068
DOI - 10.1111/meta.12224
Subject(s) - impossibility , square (algebra) , focus (optics) , epistemology , mathematics , philosophy , calculus (dental) , geometry , physics , law , medicine , optics , dentistry , political science
Abstract This article shows that there are square circles (or equivalently, round squares) in the sense that there are mathematical objects that are at the same time both perfectly circular and perfectly square. The philosophical significance of this is discussed, especially in view of philosophy's widespread use of “square circle” as a typical example of an impossibility. In particular, the focus is on what the existence of square circles means for the possibility of conceptual analysis, and more generally what we can learn about the nature of non‐formal concepts and their use in philosophy.