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Jonas asked:

I want to able to say something smart about ways to define HSM, high speed machining. I've got a
hunch that there is no "what HSM really is". What would philosophy say about this?

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If it is true that there is no such thing as 'what HSM really is', then the reason can only be a matter of
fact,not a matter of philosophy.I suspect, however, that you have fallen under the false impression
that one would be justified in asserting that there is no such thing as 'what HSM really is' in virtue of
the fact that there is no precise definition of HSM. And that is patently false. (By the way, I don't think
that the use of the word 'really' here cut's much ice. Just say to yourself, "There is no such thing as
HSM", and listen to how that sounds.)

Even in areas of mechanical engineering and technology, many of the terms we utilize have a
penumbra of vagueness, a resistance to precise definition. To take a simple example, consider what
one means by saying that a component is 'flexible' or 'rigid'. How much does it have to bend to be
counted as flexible? where do you draw the line? It would be absurd to draw the conclusion that no
component is 'really' flexible or rigid. The terms are understood perfectly well for the purposes in
hand. (Consider the exchange: "Is this rod really rigid?" "Try it and see!")

If you are looking for a philosophical background, the early paragraphs of Wittgenstein's Philosophical
Investigationsare excellent on this.

Suppose that a new drilling machine was designed with a special non-organic lubricant, super-hard
drill bit and electronically controlled micro-wobbling movement which enabled twice the drilling speed
achievable with older technology. 'HSM' would imply the use of the new process. With extra power,
you might get your old drill up to higher speeds for a short while, but you would not be doing HSM,
you would just be destroying your drill.

Suppose now, a couple of years down the line, someone comes up with a variation on the set up
which doubles the speed again. What was 'high speed' now looks decidedly slow speed compared to
the new model. Looking to the future, we might expect further dramatic speed increases. It still would
not follow that there was no such thing as HSM. At any given time, you have the choice between the
latest technology, and the cheaper, slower alternative. In this case, the given stage of technological
development defines what we mean by 'the real thing'.

I have been trying to think of a possible scenario where one would be justified in saying that there
was no such thing as HSM, or 'what HSM really is'. Maybe you can think of one. I can't.

Geoffrey Klempner