Understanding of the Points of Argument: Defining Undefined Terms
In this week's lecture, we read about Socrates' concern for defining undefined terms as the first step in critical thinking.
Choose one of the statements below. Your task is to determine how the term is used to define your chosen example, and whether the definition is by example, by synonym, by an analytical definition. If you experience difficulty in determining which method of definition is being used, describe the difficulty and try to negotiate agreement with other class members. This exercise works best if students do not all choose the first example. If one example has been well discussed, choose a different example to discuss.
And here are the examples:
1.Decaffeinated means without caffeine.
2.Steve Martin is my idea of a successful philosophy major.
3.The Cheyenne perfectly illustrate the sort of Native Americans who were Plains Indians.
4.Data, in our case, are bits of raw information collected from survey forms, which are then put in tabular form and analyzed.
5.Bifocals are glasses with two different prescriptions ground into each lens, making it possible to focus at two different distances from the wearer.
6.Red is the color we perceive when our eyes are struck by light waves of approximately seven angstroms
Do you know of any particularly bad definitions? What makes them bad?
Why is the clarity of a definition so important to making good arguments?
Reference should be Critical Thinking11th Edition by Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parker2015 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Chapter 2
Defining Undefined Terms
Name
Institution
Defining Undefined Terms
Defining undefined terms is a critical step in argumentative essays that facilitates the understanding of the points of argument. Definitions often take varying forms. While some definitions are simple synonyms, others are more elaborative and analytical, providing a deeper insight into a topic. In the examples, Bifocals are defined as glasses with two different prescriptions ground into each lens, making it possible to focus at two different distances from the wearer. A critical review of this definition reveals different aspects.
First, the analytical approach to defining terms has been employed. The definition explains the nature of the glasses and the primary uses. Also, the definition has analyzed the nature of the lenses besides explaini...