Sharko O. The phenomenon of semantic vagueness: a logico-philosophical analysis

The theses is devoted to the phenomenon of vagueness and the sorites paradox in contemporary logical and philosophical discussions. The nature of semantic vagueness and its distinction from related phenomena (ambiguity, inexactness, generality, incompleteness etc.) is analyzed in the thesis. Conceptual analysis of the phenomenon of vagueness allows to identify logical problems arising from vagueness of a language. The theses also explores the history of the emergence of contemporary conception of vagueness at the end of XIX and the beginning of XX centuries and the foundation in the second half of the XX century of a contemporary research program centered on the analysis of vagueness and solving of the sorites paradox. In addition, the history of the paradox of the Heap (from antiquity to the XIX century) is examined as a prehistory of the modern studies concerning vagueness. The theses examines the project of constructing a theory of vagueness and carries out a comparative analysis of the interpretations and solving of the problem of vagueness by semantic theories of vagueness (many-valued and paraconsistent theories, supervaluationalism).