Definition. Flashcards
What IS definition?
Definition is the act whereby the intellect expresses the comprehension of a concept.
What is comprehension?
Comprehension can be defined as the completely articulated sum of the intelligible aspects or elements - or notes - represented by a concept. It tells us what the essence of a thing is.
What are we asking when we ask, “What is the comprehension of an object?”
“What is [that object]?”
What is a nominal definition?
A nominal definition expresses the meaning of a term, or what it stands for.
What forms do nominal definition usually take?
The form either of the etymology of the term or of a synonym.
What is a real definition?
It manifests the nature signified by a term.
What are the Four Causes?
Formal Cause, Material Cause, Efficient Cause, Final cause.
What is Formal Cause? What question does it answer?
The kind of thing it is is its formal cause; “What kind of thing is it?”
What is material cause? What question does it answer?
Its constituent elements [The things that compose it. For humans organs, for buildings wood or brick, etc]; “What is the thing composed of?”
What is efficient cause? What question does it answer?
The agents who constructed the thing. [God is the efficient cause of the Earth because he made it, the Founding fathers are the efficient cause of the Constitution because they wrote it]; “By whom or through what was the thing brought about?”
What is final cause? What question does it answer?
The purpose for creating the thing. “What is the reason or purpose for the thing?”
