Abstract

According to the Determinable Based Account (DBA) of metaphysical indeterminacy (MI), there is MI when there is an indeterminate state of affairs, roughly a state of affairs in which a constituent object x has a determinable property but fails to have a unique determinate of that determinable. There are different ways in which x might have a determinable but no unique determinate: x has no determinate—gappy MI, or x has more than one determinate—glutty MI. Talk of determinables and determinates is usually constructed as relative to levels of determination. In this paper I first (1) provide a formal construction for determinables and determinates that pays crucial attention to intermediate levels of determination, and then (2) explore the consequences for the DBA of introducing such intermediate levels. In particular, I argue that intermediate levels of determination highlight crucial differences between gappy and glutty cases of MI, and allow one to introduce a third way of indeterminacy, glappy MI.

Highlights

  • According to the Determinable Based Account (DBA) of metaphysical indeterminacy (MI), there is MI when there is an indeterminate state of affairs, roughly a state of affairs in which a constituent object x has a determinable property but fails to have a unique determinate of that determinable

  • I argue that intermediate levels of determination highlight crucial differences between gappy and glutty cases of MI, and allow one to introduce a third way of indeterminacy, glappy MI

  • In what follows I am going to set forth a formal framework that serves two related, yet distinct purposes: (i) First I show that the “the space of determinable and determinate properties” of a given family—more on this later on—can be generated by the determination relation alone (Sect. 2.1); (ii) Second, I provide a formal rendition of different principles of determination (Sect. 2.2)

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Summary

Introduction

According to the Determinable Based Account (DBA) of metaphysical indeterminacy (MI), there is MI when there is an indeterminate state of affairs, roughly a state of affairs in which a constituent object x has a determinable property but fails to have a unique determinate of that determinable. In this paper I first (i) provide a formal construction for determinables and determinates that pays crucial attention to intermediate levels of determination, and (ii) explore the consequences for the DBA of introducing such intermediate levels. It is not the aim of the paper to argue either in favor or against the DBA.. It is not the aim of the paper to argue either in favor or against the DBA.3 Rather, it is to investigate and discuss some of its (alleged) consequences and commitments, especially in the light of the existence of intermediate levels of determination. 2.1); (ii) Second, I provide a formal rendition of different principles of determination I will unashamedly use set-theory and higher-order quantification

Getting the determinable structure out of determination
Principles of determination
The determinable based account of metaphysical indeterminacy
Introducing glappy MI
Potential applications of glappy MI
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