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Series:   Elements in Metaphysics

Indeterminacy in the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2023

Alessandro Torza
Alessandro Torza
Affiliation:
National Autonomous University of Mexico

Summary

The way we represent the world in thought and language is shot through with indeterminacy: we speak of red apples and yellow apples without thereby committing to any sharp cutoff between the application of the predicate 'red' and of the predicate 'yellow'. But can reality itself be indeterminate? In other words, can indeterminacy originate in the mind-independent world, and not only in our representations? If so, can the phenomenon also arise at the microscopic scale of fundamental physics? Section 1 of this Element provides a brief overview of the question of indeterminacy. Section 2 discusses the thesis that the world is comprised of indeterminate objects, whereas Section 3 focuses on the thesis that there are indeterminate states of affairs. Finally, Section 4 is devoted to the case study of indeterminacy in quantum physics.
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Keywords

metaphysical indeterminacytruthmaker semanticsquantum logicbivalencevagueness
Type
Element
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Series: Elements in Metaphysics
Online ISBN: 9781009057370
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 01 June 2023

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Indeterminacy in the World
  • Alessandro Torza, National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • Online ISBN: 9781009057370
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  • Online ISBN: 9781009057370
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Indeterminacy in the World
  • Alessandro Torza, National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • Online ISBN: 9781009057370
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