Chapter 3

Disputes Obviously genuine Merely verbal Apparently verbal disputes that are really genuine

Obviously Genuine Disputes In which there is no ambiguity present and the disputers do disagree, either in attitude or in belief.

Merely Verbal Disputes In which there is ambiguity present but there is no genuine disagreement at all.

Apparently Verbal Disputes that are Really Genuine In which there is ambiguity present and the disputers disagree, either in attitude or in belief.

Definendum The symbol being defined.

Definiens The symbol or group of symbol being used to explain the meaning of the definiendum.

Example The word “triangle” means a plane figure enclosed by three straight lines.

Stipulative Definition In which meaning is assigned to some symbol. A stipulative definition is not a report and cannot be true or false; it is a proposal, resolution, request, or instruction to use the definiendum to mean what is meant by the definiens.

Examples A 4 = B A x A x A x A = B Spearman’s “g factor” “Black hole”

Lexical Definition Which reprot the meaning that the definiendum already has and which therefore can be correct or incorrect.

Precising Definitions Which go beyond ordinary usage in such a way as to eliminate troublesome uncertainty regarding borderline cases. Its definiendum has an existing meaning, but that meaning is vague; what is added to achieve precision is partly a matter of stipulation.

Example Horsepower “The power needed to raise a weight of 550 pounds by one foot in one second” = 745.7 watts Meter 10-millionth pole to equater “the distance light travels in on 299,742,458th of a second”

Theoretical Definition Which seek to formulate a theoretically adequate or scientifically useful description of the objects to which the term applies.

Example AIDS

Persuasive Definitions Which seek to influence attitudes or stir the emotions, using language expressively rather than informatively.

Extension The collection of objects to which a general term correctly applies constitutes the extension of that term.

Examples Socialism – democracy extended to the economic field Capitalism – freedom in the economic sphere

Example Skyscraper World Trade Center in New York, Sears Tower in Chicago, Petronal Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai World Financial Center

Law of Inverse Variation Extension and intension always vary inversely

Exercise Animal, lion, mammal, vertebrate, wildcat Beverage, carbonated soft drink, cola drink, Pepsi, Pepsi jumbo Sportsman, cricketer, fielder, wicketkeeper

Extensional Definitions Definitions by Example Ostensive Definitions Quasi-ostensive Definitions

Intensional Definitions Synonymous Definitions Operational Definitions Definition by Genus and Difference

A definition should: State the essential attributes of the species. Not be circular Be neither too broad not too narrow Not be express in ambiguous, obscure, or figurative language Not be negative where it can be affirmative