LOGIC 003 / HUM 002

Prof. Clara Teresa Gene E. Portes

 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Ideas
• greek word “eidos” means image
• building blocks of knowledge
• Image of a thing
• Constitutive elements make up
judgements and judgements may express
either truth or error
• Quasi-subjects of inferential relations
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Phantasm of the imagination
• is the 1st step to the formation of an idea
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Differences between the idea and the
phantasm a synoptic scheme as follows:
IDEA PHANTASM

a. Exists in the intellect Exists in the imagination

b. Universal Individual

c. Constant Changeable

d. Possible of immaterial and complex Not impossible of immaterial and complex

things things
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Apprehension
- The act of the human mind by means of
which it knows the essence or nature of
the thing without affirming or denying
whatsoever
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Term is defined from two points of view:
a. Standpoint of its being a sign of a
concept
b. From the standpoint of its being the
ultimate structural element into which
a proposition is resolved
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Singular, Particular and Universal Terms
Singular Terms
express a concept or set of conceptual
features applicable only to one individual
or group
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Singular, Particular and Universal Terms
Particular Term
express only a part of a universal concept.
• First stands for one individual or group w/o
designating it definitely.
• Second if stands for more than one but not
clearly for all.
 Nature of Ideas/Concept
Singular, Particular and Universal Terms
Universal Term
if refers to each of the subjects to which is
can be applied that is. It expresses a concept,
formal feature or nature that is applicable
individually / distributively to the individuals of
a certain kind.
 Types of Terms
According to Comprehension
1. Univocal – applies exactly the same meaning to a
number of different things. (e.g. color)
2. Analogical – expresses similarities that are bound
up at the same time with differences. (e.g. true and
good)
3. Equivocal – term in which the same sound or
written sign apply equally to 2 or more different
kinds of things. (e.g. light - luminous, of little weight
/ Second – measurement of time/ ordinal numeral.
 Types of Terms
According to Comprehension
4. Collective or Distributive
a. Distributive which is extended to or realized in
each of the individuals contained within its extension
(e.g. man, tree).
b. Collective which applies a number of
individuals considered a group (e.g. battalion, army).
 Concept Formation
process by which a person learns to sort specific experiences
into general rules or classes.
Example:
• With regard to action, a person picks up a particular stone or
drives a specific car.
• With regard to thought, however, a person appears to deal with
classes. For instance, one knows that stones (in general) sink and
automobiles (as a class) are powered by engines. In other words,
these things are considered in a general sense beyond any
particular stone or automobile.
 Abstract and Concrete
Abstract concepts
• are conceived in the mind.
• ideas that can be very intricate and
multidimensional or they can be easier to
understand.
• defined to be opposite to the concrete objects of
sense experience.
• refer to ideas or concepts.
 Abstract and Concrete
Abstract concepts
Examples include love, success, freedom, good,
moral, democracy, and any -ism (chauvinism,
Communism, feminism, racism, sexism),
individuality, morality, realism, multi-syllabication.
 Abstract and Concrete
Abstract concepts
Examples:
It include love, success, freedom, good, moral,
democracy, and any -ism (chauvinism, Communism,
feminism, racism, sexism), individuality, morality,
realism, multi-syllabication.
 Abstract and Concrete
Concrete concepts
refer to objects or events that are available to
the senses.
Examples:
It include spoon, table, velvet eye patch, nose ring,
sinus mask, green, hot, walking.
 Definitions:
• Parts of a Definition
–Definiendum: The word or term or
concept to be defined
–Definiens: the word or group of words
which are used to define (assign a
meaning to) another term or concept
 Types of Definitions
•Lexical
•Precising
•Theoretical
•Persuasive
 Lexical Definition
A Lexical Definition reports or
describes how a term is actually used
in a language.
Sometimes a term has more than one
definition.
 The ‘Idea’ of a definition
i·de·a (ī-dē'ə)
n. Something, such as a thought or conception, that potentially or actually
exists in the mind as a product of mental activity.
1. An opinion, conviction, or principle: has some strange political ideas.
2. A plan, scheme, or method.
3. The gist of a specific situation; significance: The idea is to finish the project
under budget.
4. A notion; a fancy. There are at least 3 specific
5. Music A theme or motif. philosophical definitions!!!
6. Philosophy
1. In the philosophy of Plato, an archetype of which a corresponding being in
phenomenal reality is an imperfect replica.
2. In the philosophy of Kant, a concept of reason that is transcendent but
nonempirical.
3. In the philosophy of Hegel, absolute truth; the complete and ultimate product of
reason.
7. Obsolete A mental image of something remembered.
 Precising Definition
A Precising Definition is designed to reduce
the vagueness of a term in use. This is a kind
of stipulative definition.

Example: Tom is rich.

(What does ‘rich’ mean?)

…we might extend the lexical definition by adding that

here ‘rich’ means “has more than 5 million
dollars.” This makes the term PRECISE in our
context.
 Theoretical Definition
A THEORETICAL DEFINITION assigns (stipulates) a
meaning to a term by suggesting a theory that
gives a certain characterization of the entities
the theory denotes.

Theoretical definitions are common in

mathematics and science. They fix the meaning
of a term for a specific use.
 Examples: Theoretical Definitions
Geometry: “Parallel straight lines are straight
lines which, being in the same plane and being
produced indefinitely in both directions, do not
meet one another in either direction. ” (Euclid
Elements I, Def 23)

Chemistry: “An electron is a stable fundamental

atomic particle with almost no mass and a
negative charge.”
 Persuasive Definition
A Persuasive Definition is a definition designed
to produce a favorable or unfavorable
emotional attitude toward whatever is denoted
by the definiendum.

Persuasive definition relies upon both cognitive

and emotive meaning. Since they exceed the
scope of cognitive meaning, persuasive
definitions are primarily rhetorical.
 Persuasive Definition Examples
Neutral Definition:

Abortion: In medicine, an abortion is the

premature exit of the products of
conception (the fetus, fetal membranes,
and placenta) from the uterus. It is the
loss of a pregnancy and does not refer to
why that pregnancy was lost.
Unfavorable Emotive attitude definition:
Abortion: The willful murder of innocent unborn
children, often performed to avoid the personal
and societal consequences of wanton sexual
activity.
Favorable Emotive attitude definition:
Abortion: The constitutionally protected act of
medically resolving a pregnancy for the purpose of
restoring, preserving or protecting the physical or
mental health of a woman. The procedure is
especially useful in protecting women from
potentially debilitating consequences of rape and
incest.
 STIPULATIVE Definition
A STIPULATIVE DEFINITION assigns meaning to a
completely new term that had never previously
existed.

• It may involve either coining of a new word or giving a

new meaning to an old word.
• The goal is to propose the adoption of shared use of a
novel term.
• Hence, the definition is always correct (though it might
fail to win acceptance if it turns out to be useless.
 Examples: Stipulative Definitions
• If I now decree that we will refer to
Presidential speeches delivered in French as
“glorsherfs”, I have made a stipulate
definition.
• A few years ago the attempt was made at a
certain zoo to crossbreed Tigers and lions. The
offspring were produced from a male Tiger
and female lion and a male lion and female
tiger and were given the name “Tigon” and
“Liger”
 Examples: Stipulative Definitions
• Another use for stipulative definition is to set
up secret codes. “Operation Desert Storm” was
the code name given to military invasion of
Iraq.

“Operation Rah-e-Rast” is the code name given to

the military operation of swat.

“Operation Khowakh ba de Sham” is the code

name given to military operation of Khyber
Agency.
 Some Tools for Developing
Definitions…
• Point to a case of the Definiendum
(ostention)
• Specify the INTENSION of the term.
• Enumerate (in part or whole) the
EXTENSION of the term.
• Make the term precise by tracing its
place in a taxonomy.
 Ostensive (pointing) Definition
By “Dog” I mean: 

By “Flux Capacitor” I mean: 