Arguments of Definition

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Arguments of Definition

• Ch. 9
• EH 1302

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Arguments of Definition

• What constitutes a small car?
• At what point is an electronically manipulated
  image no longer a photograph?
• Who is an African American?
• What constitutes a true Christian?
• What is a blood sport?
• What does left wing mean?

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Arguments of Definition

• Conjecture what happened?
• Definition what do we call it?
• Missing car from campus
• Stolen?
• Borrowed?
• Cant go any further until meaning of terms are
  clarified.

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Arguments of Definition

• Important because they give the power to say what
  someone or something is (or is not).
• Adam named animals he defined what each animal
  is
• Points of contention
• Why is one definition right or better than
  another?

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Arguments of Definition

• Important because they give the power to say what
  someone or something is (or is not).
• Arguments of inclusion
• Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball
  Hall of Fame.
• Some crimes against women should be considered
  hate crimes.
• Arguments of exclusion
• Pete Rose should not be inducted into the
  Baseball Hall of Fame.
• No crime against women should be considered a
  hate crime.

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Arguments of Definition

• Most productive type of argument
• What is
• What is not
• What is human intelligence?
• Capacity measurable by verbal and mathematical
  reasoning tests
• The ability to perform specific practical tasks
• Competence in relating to people

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Arguments of Definition

• Definitions in civil, political, and social
  arenas are constantly challenged and being
  reshaped.
• What constitutes a family?
• What is an American?
• What is the definition of marriage?

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Kinds of Characterizing Definitions

• Formal
• Operational
• Definitions by Example

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Formal Definitions

• Dictionary definition
• Classification
• Kingdom
• Class
• Order
• Genus
• Species

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Formal Definitions

• Dictionary definition
• Classify what something is/isnt
• Genus
• Is tobacco a drug or a crop?
• Should hate speech be a criminal offense?
• Species
• Is tobacco a harmless drug? A dangerously
  addictive one? Something in between?
• Is using a racial epithet always an instance of
  hate speech?

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http//www.chrysler.com/pacifica/
Is the Chrysler Pacifica really a minivan?
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Operational Definitions

• Object is defined by what it does or by the
  conditions created by it.
• Sexual harassment is an unwanted and unsolicited
  imposition.
• Must sexual imposition be both unwanted and
  unsolicited to be considered harassment?

http//www.google.com/search?hlenlroidefmore
qdefineSexualHarassment
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Definitions by Example

• Way to define something by pointing to an
  example.
• Great Musicians
• Chuck Berry, Elvis, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin,
  Madonna.
• Argue that someone/something belongs in that
  category if there are shared similarities. (or
  vice versa)
• Has limitations
• Joyces Ulysses Lawrences Lady Chatterleys
  Lover
• obscene

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Stipulative Definition

• Appropriate when
• No fixed or standard definition is available.
• Some arbitrary specification is necessary to fix
  the meaning of a key term in an argument.
• Your audience will know what YOU mean by the
  term.
• Native American
• Could mean any person with any Native blood
• For the purpose of the present discussion, I
  mean by a Native American any person who has at
  least one grandparent of pure Native American
  blood and is registered with a federally
  recognized Native American tribe.

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Definition

• An argument will be most fruitful if the
  participants first agree on what they are talking
  about.
• One way to secure such an agreement is to define
  the topic.

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Definitional Arguments

• Formulating claims
• Forming or crafting definitions
• Matching claims to definitions

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Argument of Definition

• X is / is not a Y
• Define a term or concept (the Y term) by
  establishing criteria and defending them.
• A serious crime involves an act contrary to law
  that is extremely damaging to the well-being of
  an individual or society.
• Match the criteria you've established for the Y
  term against a controversial concept you are
  assessing (the X term).
• Cheating on one's income taxes is a serious crime.

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Argument of Definition

• X is / is not a Y
• Pay close attention to the reasonableness of your
  criteria.
• Defend your criteria against counter-arguments.

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Argument of Definition

• X is / is not a Y because . . .
• It possesses / does not possess features A, B,
  C.

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Argument of Definition

• Choose a controversial or difficult issue of
  definition.
• Your paper will be pointless if there is no
  controversy involved in your argument of
  definitionsome readers should disagree strongly
  with your point of view.
• You may choose a topic that relates to local
  (campus), state, or national issues.