Distinctions and tools (relevant) Flashcards
Proper distinction
Consists of two or more terms.
The terms mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive of the domain in question
Mutually exclusive terms
Terms are exclusive if no object in the domain falls under more than one term
Exhaustive terms
Terms are exhaustive if every object in the domain falls under at least one term
A priori
Acquired knowledge independently of experience
A posteriori
Acquired knowledge in a way that depends on experience
Analytic
A proposition is analytic if the meaning of its predicate is contained within the meaning of its subject, e.g. bachelors are unmarried, unmarried is within the definition of bachelor
Synthetic
A proposition is synthetic iff the meaning of its predicate is not contained within the meaning of its subject.
Word which is used
True, picks out a thing in the world for an argument
Word which is mentioned
False, quotation marks, picks out a word in the language
Subject
The subject is a word which picks out a thing in the world
Predicate
A predicate says something about the thing picked
Object vs property
Take a red chair. In this case, the chair is the object and the colour, redness, is its property.
Object
Material object in the world
Property
Descriptive features of the object
Predication
The predication sense of ‘is’ is used to assert that something has an attribute. For example, ‘A raven is black’
Identity
The identity sense of ‘is’ is used to assert that two things are the same. For example, ‘Edgar is a raven’
Qualitative identity
a and b are qualitatively identical (strictly speaking) if they share all the same properties
a and b are qualitatively identical (in a looser sense) if e.g. they share all the same intrinsic or non-relational properties
Numerical identity
a and b are numerically identical iff a and b are literally the same object
Contingent
Contingent things are things that could be otherwise.
Necessary
Necessary things are things that could not be otherwise
De re
‘Concerning the thing’
De dicto
‘Concerning what is stated’
Reductio ad absurdum
To show that some thesis or proposition, called the supposition, is false. Give a valid argument from that supposition, with the addition of some additional true premises, for a false conclusion. But now you know that the initial supposition is false too. Since a valid argument preserves truth, if the supposition were true, the conclusion would have had to be true. But since the conclusion is false, the initial supposition is false too.
