Explication as a basis for conceptual pluralism

It is generally recognized that there is no such thing as the correct explication of a given concept, but only one or more adequate explications. This paper addresses two questions: In what ways can there be more than one solution to a task of explication? And in what sense and under what conditions can diverse solutions give rise to conceptual pluralism? Based on an analysis of the general structure of explications, I first develop a systematic overview of the factors that may be responsible for diverse outcomes in a task of explication. I then suggest conditions under which it is plausible to interpret diverse outcomes as giving rise to explication-based pluralism. The rest of the paper discusses various ways in which explications can actually lead to explication-based pluralism.