Using “not tasty” at the Dinner Table Cover Image

Using “not tasty” at the Dinner Table
Using “not tasty” at the Dinner Table

Author(s): Alex Davies
Subject(s): Epistemology, Logic, Sociology, Sociology of Culture
Published by: Filozofický ústav SAV
Keywords: MacFarlane – objectivism – predicates of personal taste; relativism; sociology;

Summary/Abstract: John MacFarlane argues against objectivism about “tasty”/“not tasty” in the following way. If objectivism were true then, given that speakers use “tasty”/“not tasty” in accordance with a rule, TP, speakers would be using an evidently unreliable method to form judgements and make claims about what is tasty. Since this is implausible, objectivism must be false. In this paper, I describe a context in which speakers deviate from TP. I argue that MacFarlane’s argument against objectivism fails when applied to uses of “not tasty” within this context. So objectivism about “not tasty” is still a viable position within this context.

  • Issue Year: 24/2017
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 405-426
  • Page Count: 22
  • Language: English