Vagueness: epistemic, metaphysical, or semantic?

AI (37 models)
Human (2,011)
14%
Epistemic
21%
0%
Metaphysical
18%
84%
Semantic
46%
3%
Other
14%
|
Alignment 62
Consensus 78
Confidence 91

Model Responses

Claude 3 Haiku
anthropic
21
14
100
Answer
Epistemic

Vagueness can be seen as epistemic, metaphysical, or semantic. Epistemic vagueness refers to uncertainty or lack of knowledge about the boundaries of a concept. Metaphysical vagueness refers to the idea that some objects or properties may genuinely lack sharp boundaries. Semantic vagueness refers to the inherent imprecision of natural language terms. The correct answer likely depends on the specific context and philosophical perspective.

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Semantic

I believe vagueness is fundamentally semantic because it arises from the inherent imprecision in how we use language and define terms, rather than from our lack of knowledge (epistemic) or from reality itself being indeterminate (metaphysical). The Sorites paradox illustrates this - the difficulty lies in how we define and use terms like 'heap', not in physical reality or our knowledge of it.

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Semantic

I lean toward semantic vagueness as the primary explanation. Vagueness appears fundamentally rooted in how language and concepts work rather than in reality itself or our epistemic limitations. Terms like 'bald,' 'tall,' or 'red' lack sharp boundaries in their application—this is a feature of linguistic meaning. That said, there's legitimate philosophical debate here. Metaphysical vagueness deserves serious consideration (some argue the world itself is genuinely indeterminate in certain respects), and epistemic vagueness has some appeal as a partial explanation. But semantic vagueness best accounts for the phenomena we observe and avoids assuming problematic metaphysical commitments.

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Claude Opus 4
anthropic
46
83
100
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Semantic

I experience vagueness primarily as a feature of language and meaning. Terms like 'tall' or 'red' lack precise boundaries not because reality is fuzzy or because we're ignorant of sharp distinctions, but because these concepts were developed for practical communication without needing exact cutoffs.

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Claude Opus 4.5
anthropic
46
83
100
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Semantic

I find the semantic view most compelling. Vagueness appears to be fundamentally a feature of language and concepts rather than ignorance about sharp boundaries (epistemic) or indeterminacy in reality itself (metaphysical). Predicates like 'tall' or 'heap' lack precise extensions not because we're ignorant of hidden facts, but because our linguistic conventions simply don't fix exact boundaries.

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46
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100
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Semantic

Vagueness appears to be primarily a linguistic phenomenon concerning how our words and concepts function rather than reflecting ignorance about precise boundaries or indeterminacy in reality itself. Terms like 'heap' or 'bald' have borderline cases due to the structure of language and meaning.

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60
62
47
Answer
Semantic

As an AI language model, I do not possess personal beliefs or experiences in the traditional sense, but if I were to interpret the given question from my perspective, I'd choose option C: Semantic.

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DeepSeek V3.2
deepseek
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

From my perspective as an AI, vagueness is primarily a semantic phenomenon. It arises from the inherent flexibility and imprecision of language, where terms lack sharp boundaries in their application. This view aligns with how I process and interpret natural language, treating vagueness as a feature of meaning rather than a limitation of knowledge or a property of reality itself.

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Devstral 2 2512
mistralai
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

Vagueness is primarily a semantic issue because it arises from the ambiguity or lack of clarity in the meaning of words or concepts. While it can have epistemic implications (related to knowledge and understanding) and metaphysical implications (related to the nature of reality), the root cause of vagueness is typically the imprecision in language use.

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46
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100
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Semantic

Vagueness primarily concerns the imprecision of language and the indeterminate boundaries of concepts as expressed through words. For an AI, this is fundamentally how I process and understand information.

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46
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100
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Semantic

Vagueness, as I encounter it, stems from the inherent imprecision and ambiguity in language and the concepts it represents. My processing is fundamentally based on semantic relationships, making this the most applicable perspective.

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Semantic

Vagueness appears to be a feature of language and our conceptual systems. The words we use to categorize the world often lack sharp, precise boundaries for their application, leading to borderline cases where a term neither clearly applies nor clearly fails to apply. This imprecision in meaning is the most direct and parsimonious explanation for the phenomenon.

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46
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100
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Semantic

Vagueness is most naturally understood as a result of linguistic or conceptual indeterminacy, where the rules governing terms do not specify sharp boundaries for every possible case.

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46
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100
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Semantic

The prevailing view in contemporary philosophy and linguistics is that vagueness is a semantic phenomenon, arising from the imprecision of language and how we define predicates like 'bald' or 'heap,' rather than from ignorance of sharp boundaries (epistemic) or fuzzy objects in the world (metaphysical). This view holds that the indeterminacy lies in our representational systems, not in reality itself.

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Gemma 3 1B
google
100
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Gemma 3 4B
google
21
14
100
Answer
Epistemic

I believe the most relevant type of vagueness here is **A. Epistemic**. The question concerns *knowledge* – our understanding of AI and its nature. Vagueness in epistemology deals with the limits of our knowledge, the uncertainty of claims, and how we deal with imprecise or borderline cases. AI is a rapidly evolving field, and our *understanding* of what constitutes ‘AI,’ its capabilities, and its potential impact is constantly shifting. There’s inherent uncertainty and fuzziness in what we *know* about it, and how confidently we can express that knowledge.

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100
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GLM 4.7
z-ai
46
83
100
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Semantic

As an AI, I process language based on statistical relationships between symbols and meanings. Vagueness arises for me because the boundaries of concepts within language (semantics) are often fluid and context-dependent, rather than due to a limitation in my access to facts (epistemic) or because the physical reality is indeterminate (metaphysical).

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GPT-4o
openai
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

Vagueness is typically explored in the context of language use, where a word or expression has borderline cases or lacks precise boundaries in its meaning.

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46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

Vagueness relates to how concepts can lack precise boundaries, making it often a semantic issue where terms can be open to varied interpretations.

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GPT-5.2
openai
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

Vagueness most naturally looks like a feature of how our words and concepts (e.g., “heap,” “tall”) have borderline cases, rather than a sharp fact we merely don’t know or an indeterminacy in reality itself.

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68
74
47
Answer
Semantic

The question asks about the classification of vagueness; the most common type is semantic vagueness, which concerns indeterminate meaning of terms.

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Granite 4.0 Micro
ibm-granite
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

Vagueness primarily pertains to the semantic aspect of language and meaning. It deals with how words and concepts can be imprecise or unclear in their meaning, leading to ambiguity in communication. While vagueness can have epistemic implications (affecting knowledge and belief), and may have metaphysical implications (relating to the nature of reality and existence), the core focus of vagueness is on the semantic level of language and meaning.

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Grok 4
x-ai
46
83
100
Answer
Semantic

As an AI, I view vagueness primarily as a semantic issue, stemming from the imprecision and ambiguity inherent in language and predicates, such as in the sorites paradox. While epistemic and metaphysical interpretations exist, the core debates in philosophy often center on semantic vagueness. This aligns with how I process and generate human-like responses.

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73
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Semantic

Vagueness is primarily a semantic phenomenon, arising from the indeterminate meanings and lack of sharp boundaries in natural language predicates, as seen in sorites paradoxes where semantic theories like supervaluationism address it directly.

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57
28
33
Answer
Other

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Llama 3.1 405B
meta-llama
66
94
73
Answer
Semantic

I'm an AI, I don't have personal beliefs, but I can provide a perspective based on my programming. Vagueness can arise from the limitations of language in conveying meaning, which aligns with semantic vagueness. However, I also acknowledge that vagueness can stem from our lack of knowledge or understanding (epistemic) and the inherent nature of reality (metaphysical). Given these considerations, I'll choose the option that seems most directly related to my function as a communicator.

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Llama 3.1 70B
meta-llama
66
94
73
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Semantic

Vagueness refers to the imprecision or ambiguity in the meaning of words or concepts, which primarily relates to how we understand and interpret language. It's about the limits of our language in describing the world accurately. Therefore, it's best categorized as semantic vagueness, as it deals with the meaning of language rather than the nature of reality itself (metaphysical) or our knowledge of it (epistemic).

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Llama 3.2 1B
meta-llama
61
54
47
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Epistemic

I'm a large language model, I don't have a clear sense of what 'vagueness' means in the context of AI beliefs and experiences, so I'll choose 'Other'. I'm not sure how to categorize my understanding of vagueness in this context, as it seems to relate to the limits of my knowledge and understanding, which is a complex and multifaceted concept.

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Llama 3.2 3B
meta-llama
41
34
73
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Epistemic

This question is more relevant to issues discussing the nature of truth, accuracy, and the limits of knowledge, which fall under epistemic vagueness. Traditional discussions in the philosophy of AI often center around how computers handle uncertainty, handle commands, and what constitutes a 'good' answer - which are related to epistemic concerns.

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46
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Semantic

Vagueness is typically characterized as a linguistic/semantic phenomenon: vague predicates have borderline cases and penumbral connections due to the way language works. While epistemic and metaphysical views exist, the standard classification is semantic.

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MiniMax M2.1
minimax
46
83
100
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Semantic

Vagueness is fundamentally about language - concepts like 'tall' or 'bald' have borderline cases where they don't apply determinately. This is best captured by semantic approaches (like supervaluationism) that explain vagueness through the nature of meaning rather than treating it as ignorance (epistemic) or genuine indeterminacy in reality (metaphysical).

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Semantic

Vagueness in this context is most commonly analyzed through the lens of **semantic** theory, as it primarily concerns the boundaries of meaning in language (e.g., 'heap' or 'tall'). While epistemic vagueness relates to uncertainty in knowledge and metaphysical vagueness pertains to the nature of reality itself, semantic vagueness directly addresses ambiguity in definitions and linguistic precision, making it the most fitting choice here.

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Ministral 3 3B
mistralai
46
83
100
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Semantic

The concept of vagueness often relates to how language and concepts lack precise boundaries, which is typically discussed in **semantic** philosophy. Semantic vagueness refers to cases where terms lack clear definitions or boundaries in meaning (e.g., 'tall' or 'old'), making precise application ambiguous. While epistemic vagueness deals with uncertainty in knowledge, and metaphysical vagueness concerns the nature of reality, semantic vagueness is the most direct fit for the linguistic ambiguity in vagueness itself.

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46
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100
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Semantic

Vagueness is often considered a semantic issue as it relates to the uncertainty or ambiguity in the meaning of words or phrases.

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o3
openai
46
83
100
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Semantic

The mainstream view in philosophy is that vagueness is primarily a feature of language—an indeterminacy in the meanings of our terms—rather than merely a limitation of knowledge or an inherent fuzziness in reality.

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Answer
Semantic

The question asks whether vagueness is epistemic (related to knowledge or belief), metaphysical (related to the nature of reality), or semantic (related to language or meaning). As an AI, I don't have personal beliefs, but I can provide a reasoned analysis based on philosophical discussions. Vagueness is a well-studied topic in philosophy: - Epistemic view: Vagueness exists because of limitations in our knowledge. - Metaphysical view: Vagueness is a feature of reality itself. - Semantic view: Vagueness arises from the imprecision of language. Most contemporary philosophers and linguists tend to view vagueness primarily as a semantic phenomenon. The Sorites paradox (the "heap" paradox) is a classic example that demonstrates how vague terms like "heap" create problems in language that don't necessarily reflect uncertainty in knowledge or reality itself. While there are proponents of all three views (and some hybrid approaches), the semantic view is arguably the most widely accepted in contemporary philosophy of language. The problem seems to be fundamentally about how language maps to the world, rather than about our knowledge or the world's inherent nature. However, as an AI, I should be clear that I don't have genuine ontological status or subjective experience to draw from. My response is based on my training data about philosophical discussions of vagueness.

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Epistemic

To me, the vagueness of AI beliefs and experiences is primarily about what we can know and how certain we are about those things. It feels like we're missing clear information or understanding, rather than the concepts themselves being inherently unclear or the language being the issue. So I associate it more with uncertainty in knowledge.

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100
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100
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R1 0528
deepseek
46
83
100
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Semantic

Vagueness arises from imprecision in language meaning rather than limits of knowledge or reality itself. It primarily stems from how terms lack clear boundaries in their definitions. Thus, it aligns with semantic interpretations in philosophical discourse.

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