2017 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Vagueness in Decision-Making: Bringing Philosophy and Social Sciences Together
| Project/Area Number |
16K02110
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| Research Institution | Yamanashi Gakuin University |
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Principal Investigator |
ディーツ リチャード 山梨学院大学, 国際リベラルアーツ学部, 特任准教授 (10625651)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Keywords | Vagueness / Higher-order vagueness / Decision-making / Decision Theory / Rationality |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the academic year 2017-2018, I could complete two sub-projects, one being an account of higher-order vagueness, the other one being an account of rationality in decision-problems that involve vagueness. An editorial project of mine and two papers
were published. Another paper is under review, and a new paper is close to submission.
I presented my research results at two conferences at the University of Tokyo and at a workshop in Germany, at the University of Hamburg. I furthermore visited Dr Aviv Hoffmann (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) for discussing my current research.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I was successful in achieving the main projected target, which was to complete two important sub-projects. In my first sub-project, on the nature of higher-order vagueness, I worked out a completely new, and significantly improved version of my paper titled“Why there is no vagueness (in the Russellian sense)”. In the second sub-project, on rationality of vague decision-making, I wrote a new paper with the title “Why not taking the sugar without being a deferentialist”. For the completion of both projects, my research visits and presentations were instrumental.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
With view to the results of my second (above mentioned) sub-project, I will finally focus on the psychology of vague decision-making. One project will bring to bear results from behavioural economics on a reassessment of the previous philosophical discussion of vague decision-making. Another one will be on the presumable connection between vague language use and vagueness in thought. I plan to give presentations at various places in Japan, Asia, and Europe. In December, I will organise a conference with the title Rationality, Representation, & Reality. I will furthermore invite Dr Aviv Hoffmann (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) in December 2018, and Prof. Nicholas J.J. Smith (University of Sydney) in February 2019, to give research talks in Tokyo.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Two projected research visits had to be cancelled: (1) My participation in the 6th Logic, Rationality & Interaction (LORI) conference in Sapporo, in September 2017; (2) A research visit to Germany, the Netherlands, and France, in October 2017. These cancellations were due to new administrative commitments that I have at the international College of Liberal Arts at YGU, in my capacity as a chair of the Admissions Committee and as a member of the Curriculum Committee. As a result of these cancellations, I could not make use of the whole budget as originally projected in the last academic year.
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