Helmut, Technical terms are important when a completely new concept has been invented for which there is no convenient term in the common vocabulary. If a new term is necessary, it's important to choose some combination of common words that is not likely to create ambiguities or confusions. There was some discussion about confusing implications of the word 'possibility'. That is why somebody suggested the adjective 'qualitative' in front of 'possibility'. I was not involved in the original discussion, but I agree that the term 'qualitative possibility' is a bad choice, for several reasons: (1) It's an unusual combination, whose intended meaning cannot be derived from the dictionary definitions of the two words, considered separately. (2) It was suggested as a term for an issue about Peirce's philosophy, but Peirce himself never used that combination. (3) Even for somebody who has studied Peirce's writings, the intended meaning of the combination is not clear. Finally, I suggested the word 'diagram', one of Peirce's favorite terms, which could be used in discussions of the issues that were raised. The word diagram does *not* mean 'qualitative possibility' (whatever that may mean). But that is a huge advantage. The word 'diagram' steers the discussion into clear, precise issues instead of some vague talk about qualitative possibilities. John
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