How (Not) to Give a Semantic Analysis of Ceteris Paribus Laws

The phrase of ceteris paribus (cp), i.e., other things being equal, is widely employed to state laws in non-basic sciences, such as economics, medicine, geography, biology, and psychology. However, what the phrase in question says is highly unclear, which results in severe philosophical problems calling into question the status of special sciences. The main purpose of this paper is to critically examine a lexicographic study of cp proposed by Michael Morreau (1999), who tries to provide an adequate semantic analysis of cp-laws through this study. It is argued that, despite Morreau’s attempt to excavate meanings possibly contained in a cp-phrase, his proposal is very limited in the progress it makes. Toward the end of this paper, an alternative approach is sketched, in which the pragmatic role played by cp in the sciences is emphasized. Keywords: Semantic analysis. Lexicographic study. Pragmatism.