3. Why do we use vagueness?

1. Vague objects

Example: Old Number One. (A court case made famous by a recent article by the philosopher Graeme Forbes.)

Old Number One

[Details omitted here, but see the following animation]

Other objects are vague too ...

• Rowing boats are repaired by replacing planks. When no plank is the same, is it the same boat?

• Think of a book or PhD thesis. How is it written? Doesn’t it change all the time? What if it’s translated? What if it’s translated badly?

• How many languages are spoken in China? Every linguists gives a different answer.

• Are you the same person as 3 weeks after conception? After you’ve lost your memory?

• The cat is loosing hair. Is it still part of the cat?