What is your definition for "definition"?

Question

*** billy p - nice observation on your: a possible definition of 'definition' is: "The sum of the properties of a variable." Much like the Feynman Path Integral, if you will. The only problem here is you've got to find a way to integrate over nearly infinite possibilities of Real and Virtual "Variables" (in this specific case). Therefore, the Action Space of Decision-making remains off-limits, hence the outcome becomes “undecidable” or at best “forcefully pragmatic”.

Answer 1

There are principally two approaches:

(1) Define definition with some fancy set of words, which opens up the possibility of creating some unique and/or profound statement (the preferred route of most philosophers), or

(2) is repeated to infinity (i.e. is = is = is = is etc).

One is the province of intellectual backslapping and the other is a paradox we dare not reason. Which one is more accurate?

Answer 2

"meaning" is just a synonym. the immediate follow up is "what is your definition for 'meaning'?" This is a principle theme in contemporary philosophy. Willard Van Orman Quine tackles this question in his Bound Variable Theory, which holds that "To be is to be the properties of a variable." He argues that any single thing is a variable x with a list of properties (x is white, x is round, etc) which give the thing (in this case, a baseball) 'meaning'. x is not a baseball, but is in fact a variable with properties that are unique only to baseballs. In conclusion, a possible definition of 'definition' is: "The sum of the properties of a variable." There's a lot of literature out there on this subject if you're still interested.

Answer 3

Oddly enough, this leads to a discussion of animal-cracker orgies. How? Stay tuned, and prepare for enlightenment: Broadly speaking, to define something is to let it stand out as a concept against the background of all that it is not. In philosophy this often takes the form of a "genus" and "species" where the genus gives a general category and species narrows it down to a more particular types. Of course this all depends on human purposes and points of views, so almost any definition is open to controversy. For example: I would say that "animal crackers" should fit in the genus "cookie" which is slightly odd since the name would suggest it ought to fit in the genus "cracker" instead. The species would narrow it down to something like: "A somewhat bland, yet oddly compelling, mixture of white flour and processed sugar cut into animal shapes and baked to a delicate golden-brown." I don't know if animal crackers have evolved much over the years, but I do regularly notice mutations in individuals (I just found Siamese-twin camels joined at the butt, for example), suggesting that were they to engage in animal cracker orgies in their little plastic bag universe, selective pressures theoretically could lead to evolution of a sort - something highly unlikely for other species of cookies, such as oatmeal cookies which, although delicious, are mere ill-defined blobs and will no doubt always be so. Notice the use of the word 'defined' in this new context. Animal crackers are more 'defined' than oatmeal cookies because the stand out more prominently as individuals - which leads me to think that a lot of human beings could learn a thing or two from animal crackers. A lot of people let their governments and churches do their thinking for them, and thus are more like oatmeal cookies than animal crackers - or perhaps more like a bag-fulls of animal crackers where each individual is, say, a sheep. When we no longer stand out in a crowd, we become 'ill-defined' and our lives become about as meaningful as a marathon of old Baywatch reruns.

Answer 4

Contrary to explanation, definition puts confines to concepts. The word comes from the latin "de", meaning: from, and finis, meaning: finish or end.

Explanation is the opposite as it means to unfold, or abound in a concept.

Answer 5

the meaning of a word without using the word itself in the decrisption.

Answer 6

Depends of what your definition of "is" is.

-Billy C

Flagon slapped Dio again.

Answer 7

the meaning of a word

Answer 8

the meaning of a word

Answer 9

I find your question quite humorous and interesting. Hmm, let's see... "the explanation and expression of a meaning"?

Answer 10

Meaning or what i would have if i worked out more.