In terminology due to Ruth Chang, the three trichotomous comparisons are betterness, worseness, and equal goodness.
For example, one artist, drawing, or cup of coffee might be better or worse than another, or precisely equally as good as it.
Suppose also that in order to tempt you, the bankers offer you a tiny pay rise, perhaps 5 cents a year.
Defenders of incomparability will say it is most plausible that it is the assumption that banking and philosophy are equally good that is incorrect.
Some philosophers are pluralists about the phenomenon: they think that (for example) genuine incomparability might be the correct account in some cases, and parity in others.
The main objection to this kind of view is that it seems very implausible, for similar reasons to epistemicism about vagueness.
[1] Luke Elson has criticised this argument, claiming that the apparent possibility of parity is really an artefact of the vagueness of the (trichotomous) comparisons involved.
[3] Finally, a set of philosophers led by John Broome has argued that incomparability is vagueness.
In the small-improvement argument, the incomparability as vagueness view might say that it is indeterminate whether banking is better or worse than philosophy, or precisely equally good.
Incomparability has figured prominently in several philosophical debates concerning moral and rational action.
The topic of incommensurability has also frequently arisen in discussions of the version of natural law theory associated with John Finnis and others.
[4] Philosophical reflection about practical reason typically aims for a description of the principles relevant in answering the question, "What is to be done in this or that circumstance?"
On one popular view, answers to this question can be found by comparing the relative strengths of the various values or norms in play in some given situation.
For example, if one is trying to decide on some nice afternoon whether they should stay in to do work or go for a walk, on this view of practical reason they will compare the merits of these two options.