Many, But Almost One
Lewis (David)
Source: Lewis - Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology
Paper - Abstract

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Philosophers Index Abstract

  1. It is arbitrary where a cloud leaves off. Thanks to boundary vagueness, there are many equally good candidates to be the cloud. Yet we have "one" cloud up there, not many. How so?
  2. The method of supervaluation yields one answer.
  3. Armstrong's observation that extensive overlap approximates to identity yields another: we have a cloud up there to which all clouds up there are approximately identical.
  4. The two answers do not compete; they may usefully be combined.
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