Unit 1 Flashcards
What six things can/do definitions do?
Show relationships, remove ambiguity, reduce vagueness, increase vocabulary, explain concepts theoretically, and influence attitudes.
term
A concept that is expressed precisely in words.
definition
A statement that gives the meaning of a term.
What is the difference between a term and a word?
One word can carry the meaning of many terms, the same term can be expressed with different words.
When and why is it extremely important to define your terms?
At the beginning of any debate because you want to argue about substance, not words.
What does “love” mean biblically?
To treat the other person lawfully from the heart.
lexical definition
A definition that shows relationships or reduces ambiguity by providing a single, established meaning of a term.
precising definition
A definition that seeks to make more precise what was previously vague or fuzzy.
stipulative definition
A definition for when a new word is invented or an existing word is applied in a new way.
theoretical definition
A definition used not because the word itself is unfamiliar, but because the term is not understood.
persuasive definition
A definition aimed at persuading the listener one way or another toward the term being defined.
genus
A term that is more general, broad, or abstract than the original term and includes it.
species
A term that is more specific, narrow, or concrete than the original term and is included by it.
What is the plural of “genus?”
Genera
What is meant by “the words genus and species are relative terms?”
Each term can be both a genus and a species - a genus of the terms below it, and a species of the term above it.
What’s different with the hierarchies in logic vs. biology?
In logic the only two levels are genus and species.
mutually exclusive
The species do not overlap.
exhaustive
No other species exist.
Genus and species charts can be drawn very differently depending on what?
The principle used to divide and categorize items.
What’s a common mistake when making a hierarchy chart?
Using part/whole instead of genus/species.
extension (of a term)
The sum of all the individual objects described by it.
intension (of a term)
The sum of all the common attributes denoted by the term.
How are extension and intension related?
Inversely.
What is increased extension parallel to?
Increased abstraction.
What is an increasing in intension accompanied by?
An increase in concreteness.
What’s strange about the relationship between intension and extension?
It’s possible to increase intension without simultaneously decreasing extension.
What will understanding extension and intension help you with?
Grasping various relationships among terms.
What are the 3 primary methods of definition?
Genus and difference, synonym, and example.
Who wrote a book that identified a lot of defining terms?
The great Cassiodorus Senator (c. 480-575.)
What was the name of the book that identified a lot of methods of definition?
An Introduction to Divine and Human Readings.
What were the (roughly) 15 methods of defining terms listed in the book?
genus and difference, synonym, example, notational, qualitative, descriptive, distinguishing, metaphorical, negation of the opposite, use of image, statement of what is lacking, by way of praise or blame, proportional, relational, and causational.
What should you do when defining by example?
Include several differing terms to ensure your definition is complete enough.
What is (usually) the best way to define a term?
Using genus and difference.
How does the genus and difference method work?
You state the genus and then add descriptive words that distinguish it from other species.
What comes first, genus or difference?
Either one.
How should you use attributes in a definition, and why?
Use only essential attributes because it conveys the most relevant information about the term and avoids redundancy.
What should you avoid using in definitions that use genus and difference?
Synonyms.
What are the six rules for defining by genus and difference?
A definition should: state the essential attributes of the term, not be circular, not be to broad nor too narrow, not be unclear or figurative, be stated positively (if possible), and be of the same part of speech as the term.
Is it possible to break genus/species definition rule 5 without actually doing so?
Yes, is the word itself is necessarily negative, since it would be awkward if written positively.
What signals a problem with a definition?
The use of words like “where” and “when.”
What sort of definition would be found in a dictionary?
Lexical.
What is a limitation of defining by synonym?
Many words do not have exact synonyms.
