VAGUENESS, AMBIGUITY & GENERALITY

We come across pretentious or unintelligible jargon in formal documents, such as contractual

agreements, which is intended to confuse us rather than clarify. Politicians and celebrities may
also use words and sentences that fail at giving us proper explanation to the question asked.

Obscurity in language can arise from various sources, but four stand out as particularly
significant-

 Excessive vagueness
 Ambiguity
 Excessive generality
 Undefined terms

I shall discuss the first three further.

1. Vagueness
One of the most common forms of unclear thinking or writing is excessive vagueness. At its
core, the concept of vagueness can be quite complex and has been the focus of much
philosophical debate. However, practically speaking, it is easy to understand. It basically refers
to the lack of clarity or precision in language. A word or phrase is vague if we cannot clearly
define what it includes and excludes. For instance, consider the term "tall." While it is
commonly used to describe height, what constitutes as “tall” varies depending on context and
personal interpretation, illustrating that "tallness" is a vague concept.

Vagueness plays a significant role in many areas of life. In the legal field, for example, how we
handle vagueness is crucial. Whether the term "assault" applies to certain aggressive actions
can be a matter of significant debate. Some might argue that specific actions do not constitute
assault, while others might disagree. Similarly, in our everyday lives, whether a person's
behavior is "rude" can vary greatly depending on cultural norms and personal perspectives.

Consider speed limits on highways. Ideally, the law would state "drive at a safe speed for the
conditions" because what is safe at 60 miles per hour on a clear day might be unsafe at 30 miles
per hour in foggy conditions. However, because "safe speed" is a vague term, laws set specific
speed limits to avoid arbitrary enforcement by police officers and judges.

Vagueness can also be frustrating in everyday situations. Suppose you are trying to find a
restaurant and are given directions like, "Drive a bit down the road, turn left at the big tree, and
it’s just past the hill." The vagueness of these directions can make it difficult to find your
destination. What constitutes "a bit down the road" or "the big tree"?

Vagueness is often intentional, such as politicians often use vagueness to their advantage. If a
politician promises to "improve the education system," they might be intentionally vague to
appeal to a broad audience without committing to specific policies.
Vagueness comes in degrees, and it’s nearly impossible to eliminate it entirely from our
communication. Fortunately, we can usually manage a certain level of vagueness without much
trouble. For example, saying "The weather is nice today" is sufficiently clear for most purposes,
even if "nice" is a vague term. Similarly, stating "She is wealthy" conveys useful information
without specifying her exact net worth.

Problems with vagueness arise when it interferes with our ability to make informed
decisions. If a politician promises to "reduce taxes for the middle class," it is important to clarify
who qualifies as "middle class" because the definition can significantly impact the policy's
implementation.

So, when is vagueness acceptable, and when is it not? While it's challenging to set a precise
rule, using common sense and due care when dealing with vague claims can help. Vagueness is
acceptable when it still allows for useful and appropriate communication. For instance, if
directions are clear enough to help you reach your destination, they are adequately specific.
However, when vagueness obscures understanding and prevents fair assessment of a claim, it is
important to seek clarity and hold the speaker accountable.

2. Ambiguity
Ambiguity occurs when a word, phrase, or sentence has multiple interpretations or meanings.
It can lead to confusion, impacting discussions and debates.

For example, “I saw the man with binoculars.”

This sentence can have two interpretations:

 The person who saw the man was using binoculars.

 The man who was seen had binoculars with him.

“Jessica is renting her house” could mean that she’s renting it to someone or from someone. If
you hear someone say, "I'm finished with this task," it could mean they have completed a
specific task, finished all their work for the day, or are quitting their job altogether. Headlines
can be ambiguous too, like "Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant" or "Local High School
Dropouts Cut in Half."

In legal contexts, the interpretation of terms like "negligence" can significantly impact case
outcomes. One side may argue that negligence occurred, while the other contends it did not
meet the legal standard of negligence. Similarly, when discussing privacy rights, ambiguity in
the term "privacy" can lead to different interpretations of what is protected.

Most of the time, the intended meaning is clear, but ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings.
For example, in debates about healthcare, the term "affordable" can be ambiguous. One side
might argue that healthcare is affordable if insurance premiums are low, while another might
argue that healthcare is affordable only if out-of-pocket costs are low. Without clarifying these
key terms, discussions can become confused and contentious.
Semantic Ambiguity
Semantic ambiguity occurs when a statement’s meaning is unclear due to its wording. For
instance, consider these sentences:

 "Taylor is cold." This could mean Taylor has a cold personality or that Taylor is feeling
cold.

 "The chicken is ready to eat.” This could mean that the chicken is ready to be eaten or
that the chicken is ready to eat something.

These ambiguities can be resolved by replacing ambiguous terms with more specific ones. For
instance, replacing “eat” with “be eaten” to express that “the chicken is ready to be eaten.”

Grouping Ambiguity
Grouping ambiguity arises when it's unclear whether a word refers to a group collectively or its
individual members. For example, "Cars produce more pollution than motorcycles" could be
true if referring to the total pollution from all cars versus all motorcycles, but false if comparing
individual cars to individual motorcycles. Another example can be, “The committee decided to
award the prize to the employees.” Here, it’s unclear whether the prize is being awarded
collective to the entire group of employees or individually to each employee.

Syntactic Ambiguity
Syntactic ambiguity occurs when a sentence's structure leads to multiple interpretations. For
example, "Visiting relatives can be exhausting" could mean that the act of visiting relatives is
exhausting, or that relatives who come to visit are exhausting. "Flying planes can be dangerous"
could mean piloting planes is dangerous, or that planes flying overhead pose a danger.

To clarify, sentences can be rephrased:

 "It can be exhausting to visit relatives."

 "Relatives who come to visit can be exhausting."
 "Piloting planes can be dangerous."
 "Planes flying overhead can be dangerous."

Ambiguous Pronoun References

Ambiguous pronoun references occur when it's unclear to whom or what a pronoun refers. For
instance, "After the team won the game, they celebrated at a restaurant" is unclear if "they"
refers to the winning team or both teams. Similarly, “Susan told Emily that she passed the
exam” does not ensure who passed the exam because it’s not clear to whom ‘she’ refers to.

Improving awareness of ambiguity helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures clear

communication and critical thinking.
3. Generality
Generality, like vagueness and ambiguity, can create confusion and hinder clear
communication. Generality means a lack of specificity. The more different kind of Xs to which
the word “X” applies, the more general it is. For example, "animal" is general because it applies
to all species of animals. The more types of entities a term covers, the more general it is. For
instance, "Taylor owns a vehicle" is more general than "Taylor owns a car," and "Taylor owns a
car" is more general than "Taylor owns a Ford Mustang."

The level of generality in a statement impacts decision making. If you hear that Jordan has a
criminal record, it might negatively affect your view of him and prevent you from hiring him for
a job. However, if you learn more details, such as he was arrested for participating in a peaceful
protest against environmental destruction, your opinion might change significantly. The
difference between a general statement and a more specific one can be critical in decision-
making.

Generality can be useful in various contexts:

1. Simplification: General terms like "fruits" can simplify communication by collectively

referring to items such as oranges, apples, bananas, and more. This allows for easier
understanding without listing every specific item.

2. Flexibility: Using general terms like "vehicles" provides flexibility in conversation.

Depending on the context, "vehicles" can refer to cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, and
more, allowing for broad applicability and easier adaptation to different discussions.

3. Conceptualization: General terms help in conceptualizing broad ideas. For instance, the
concept of "love" encompasses a wide range of emotions, behaviors, and experiences,
from romantic love to familial love to love for hobbies and passions. This broad
application allows for rich and varied discussions.

However, overgeneralization can obscure important distinctions or nuances within a

category, leading to misunderstandings. For example, saying "Taylor has a pet" is less
informative than specifying "Taylor has a Siamese cat." The lack of specificity can result in
unclear or incomplete information, which can be problematic in critical discussions or decision-
making processes.

To avoid the pitfalls of overgeneralization, it is crucial to strive for precision in language. Clear
and specific language helps to ensure that communication is effective and that the intended
meaning is accurately conveyed. For instance, when a politician promises to "decrease
poverty," it is beneficial to ask for specifics about the proposed improvements to understand
the plan better.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the concepts of vagueness, ambiguity, and generality are crucial in understanding
the potential pitfalls in communication. Vagueness deals with the lack of precision or clarity in
language, ambiguity deals with multiple possible interpretations or meanings, and generality
deals with the broad applicability of statements. These can lead to misunderstandings, and
hinder decision-making and clear thinking. Thus, it is essential to recognize and address these
issues by striving for precision in language. This means providing specific details when
necessary, clarifying ambiguous terms, and avoiding excessive generalization. By doing so, we
can enhance our ability to convey information accurately, make informed decisions, and engage
in meaningful and productive discussions.

Reema Singh
BA (H) Political Science
Miranda House