Introduction to Definitional Arguments Scott Hale Englsih 1213

Importance of Language... n Primary means of making sense of the World... n William James: “the buzz and confusion” are converted into systematic classes and relationships, represented by verbal signs. n The act of defining depends upon our perception of a certain set of attributes.

Through Definitions... n We are set free from a world of immediate particulars (Plato’s Cave) n Liberated into a shareable world of concepts/forms n Rock, Love, Life, Death,...

But... n Defining isn’t so simple... n Words allow us to share concepts, but don’t ensure mutual understanding. n Non-natural, arbitrary system created by social interaction. n Because it is social, it’s also imperfect.

Dictionaries... n Human attempts to catalogue a language... n Impossible undertaking n Limited--provides only one type of definition

Aristotelian Definitions n Two main parts: n Genus--class/category n Differentiae--discrimination among other items in the same genus n Hammer--A tool consisting of a solid head, usually metal, set crosswise on a handle, sometimes wood, used for driving nails.

Differentiae... n Four types: –Material--what it’s made of. –Form--what it looks like, its appearance. –Function--what it does, what it’s used for. –Origin--where it comes from. n Hammer--A tool consisting of a solid head, usually metal, set crosswise on a handle, sometimes wood, used for driving nails.

Another example... n Ambergris--An opaque, ash-colored, morbid secretion, of the sperm whale intestine, fragrant when heated, used in perfumery. n Form n Function n Origin

Abstract terms... n Courage--The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc. with firmness and without fear. n Genus? Differentiae? n Function…

Problems with Dictionaries… n Aristotelian definitions limited to only common meanings. n Can’t account for particulars--shades and nuances of meaning. n Incapable of accounting for degree/extent

Example… n Dr. Samuel Johnson’s first Dictionary of the English Language n Network… n “Anything reticulated or decussated, at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.” n Often, Aristotelian definitions use words more unusual than the one being defined...

3 rules for developing definitions:… n The genus isn’t too broad or too narrow –A boat is an object that floats/a wooden craft n The differentiae should clearly distinguish the defined item from other items in the same genus n Neither the genus nor differentiae should: use unusual words or words derived from the one being defined

Examples for Discussion… n A table is an article of furniture with four legs and a flat surface. n A school is a place where one or more teachers provide instruction in various subjects. n A bridge is a roadway extending over a body of water. n Justice is a system of laws in which all people are treated equitably.