Distance and Dissimilarity. (4th May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Blumson, Ben
• Is Part Of: Philosophical papers. Volume 48:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 239
• Publication Date: 2019-05-04
• Subjects: Philosophy -- Periodicals; Philosophy, African -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1080/05568641.2018.1463103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0556-8641

Abstract

Abstract: This paper considers whether an analogy between distance and dissimilarity supports the thesis that degree of dissimilarity is distance in a metric space. A traditional way to justify the thesis would be to prove representation and uniqueness theorems, according to which if comparative dissimilarity meets certain qualitative conditions, then it is representable by distance in a metric space. But I will argue that those qualitative conditions which are strong enough to capture the analogy between distance and dissimilarity are not met by either actual or possible particulars.