The Art of Defining By Hanna Dixon

What’s in a name?  Name = “a vocal sound which signifies by agreement, and which does not have any part that signifies by itself”  If a vocal sound does not signify something, it is just gibberish  Some vocal sounds can signify something without being considered names or words, such as a baby’s crying signifying that it is hungry or tired

Definitions: the best way to understand a name  You can understand a name on its own, but a definition will help you understand it better or more perfectly  Definitions are tools of the mind!

Univocal names used in definition  A univocal name is said of many things with the same meaning  Example: “animal” can mean a dog, cat, horse, or pink fairy armadillo  “animal” means the same thing in each case  This is NOT to be confused with an equivocal name, which is said of many things with a different meaning

Genus, species, and difference  Genus = a univocal name is said of many things which are different in kind (animal)  Species = a univocal name is said of many things which differ as individuals (pink fairy armadillo)  Difference = the name which separates species under the same genus  “rational” narrows the genus “animal” to the species “man”

The kinds of definition  Definition = speech signifying what a thing is  Definitions can define a thing, a name, or both  nominal definition – only gives an account of what the name is  Essential definition – explains the essence of something or “what it is to be”  Most definitions contain both nominal and essential elements

4 marks of a good definition 1) the definition must be of something that exists 2) the definition must be coextensive with the thing defined  must include everything the object/idea has and nothing it doesn’t  The definition should not be applicable to anything else!

4 marks continued 3) a definition should give an account of the cause of the thing defined  Material cause – what the thing is made of  Agent/efficient cause – the first source of the thing’s motion  Formal cause – what makes the thing to be what it is  Final cause – the reason it exists/purpose 4) the defining terms must be better known than the thing defined  “We must go from the more known to the less known”

The 10 categories 1.Substance (rock) 2.Quantity (foot, meter) 3.Relation (bigger) 4.Quality (sweet) 5.Action (burning) 6.Passion (being burnt) 7.Where (on the beach) 8.Position (standing) 9.When (yesterday) 10.Outfit (shirted, dressed)

Quick review questions  What is a name?  What does univocal mean? Equivocal?  What is the difference between a genus and a species?  What is a difference?  What is one mark of a good definition?  Name 3 of the 10 categories