Fallacies of definition refer to the various ways in which definitions can fail to have merit. The term is used to suggest analogy with the logical fallacies. This is a typical sort of list found in texts used in college logic courses. A definition delimits or describes the meaning of a concept or term by stating the essential properties of the entities or objects denoted by that concept or term. ... In philosophy, the term logical fallacy properly refers to a formal fallacy: a flaw in the structure of a deductive argument which renders the argument invalid. ... Logic is the study of argument — not angry disagreements or fisticuffs, but instead the giving of reasons to believe things. ...

Circularity

There is a general name for the first two sorts of error: circular definition. A circular definition is somewhat similar to a question-begging argument: neither offers us enlightenment about the thing we wanted to be enlightened about. A circular definition is one that assumes a prior understanding of the term being defined. ... In logic, begging the question is the term for a type of fallacy occurring in deductive reasoning in which the proposition to be proved is assumed implicitly or explicitly in one of the premises. ...

Defining with a synonym

A definition is no good if it simply gives a one-word synonym. For example, suppose we define the word "virtue"—an important word in ethics—just using the word "excellence." It might be perfectly true that all virtues are excellences and all excellences are virtues (that was perhaps an ancient Greek view; see arete), but the word "excellence" by itself is not a good definition of "virtue" in philosophy. One can always simply ask, "But what does 'excellence' mean?" Surely, if one has a basic confusion about what "virtue" means, then one will also have a basic philosophical confusion about what "excellence" means. So it will not do to define one simply by stating the other. Look up Synonym in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Synonyms (in ancient Greek syn συν = plus and onoma όνομα = name) are different words with similar or identical meanings and are interchangable. ... Virtue (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) is moral excellence of a man or a woman. ... Ethics (from Greek ἦθος meaning custom) is the branch of axiology, one of the four major branches of philosophy, which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to distinguish that which is right from that which is wrong. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Arete (Greek: ) in its basic sense means goodness or excellence of any kind, especially manly qualities. ...

Defining with a near synonym

A definition does no good if it uses a very near synonym in the definition. For example, suppose we define 'beautiful' as 'possessing aesthetic value'. The words 'beautiful' and 'aesthetic' are very nearly the same in meaning; so if anyone is deeply confused or curious about beauty, then he is of course going to be confused or curious about the aesthetic. The question is what general characteristics are possessed by all beautiful objects, or all objects that have aesthetic value. A nymph with morning glory flowers by Lefebvre. ... Aesthetics (or esthetics) (from the Greek word αισθητική) is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty. ...

Over-broad definitions

Definitions can be too broad. Suppose we define 'bachelor' as 'unmarried male'. At first glance this might look correct, but male is a word that can apply to many things. For example, male dogs and male babies are not considered bachelors. A definition is too broad if it applies to things that are not part of the extension of the word defined. To correct this fallacy, narrow the definition. In this case, 'bachelor' can mean 'unmarried man'. A bachelor is a man who above the age of majority who has never been married. ... The shield and spear of the Roman God Mars are often used to represent the male sex In heterogamous species, male is the sex of an organism, or of a part of an organism, which typically produces smaller, mobile gametes (spermatozoa) that are able to fertilise female gametes (ova). ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the domestic dog. ... The term baby can refer to: an infant a very early computer—the Small-Scale Experimental Machine, nicknamed Baby a musician – Brian Williams – who performs under the name Baby. ... The extension of an idea or (linguistic) expression consists of the things that it applies to; it contrasts with intension. ...

Over-narrow definitions

Definitions can be too narrow. That is, they can exclude some things that they should apply to; they fail to describe some members of the word's extension. Here is an example of a narrow definition: 'piece of furniture' means 'object used to sit on'. Of course, some pieces of furniture are not used to sit on; for example, we put objects on them (like tables) or we put our feet on them (like footstools), and so forth. So even though some pieces of furniture are objects that are used to sit on, not all furniture is used to sit on. We need a broader definition: we might add other qualifying characteristics, like 'used to put feet up on' or 'used to put household objects on', for example. That would make the extension of the definition bigger--that is, the definition would apply to more things, and more of the things that we use the word 'furniture' to describe. We might also choose to entirely rewrite the definition, since laundry lists of characteristics strung together by 'or' are generally regarded by philosophers as not describing a unitary concept. The extension of an idea or (linguistic) expression consists of the things that it applies to; it contrasts with intension. ... Furniture is the collective term for the movable objects which support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, and hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. ... Wooden kitchen table and chairs For other uses, see table (disambiguation). ... A footstool is a piece of furniture, the purpose of which is to provide comfort to a person seated in, for example, a chair or sofa. ...

Obscurity

Definitions can go wrong by using ambiguous, obscure, or figurative language. Suppose we defined 'love' as 'the insensible quivering of the soul'. This is useless. Given a definition like this, one has the right to ask: but what is the insensible quivering of the soul? How would we recognize it? Is Johnny's soul insensibly quivering right now? And so on. Definitions should be stated in plain, straightforward language that can be understood by the people to whom the definitions are given. See jargon. - Emo Philips A word, phrase, sentence, or other communication is called ambiguous if it can be reasonably interpreted in more than one way. ... Many traditional academic analyses of language divided linguistic expressions into two classes: literal and figurative. ... A cartoonish version of the heart, a frequent modern symbol of love Love (Origin: An Indo-Iranian word. ... Jargon is a type of terminology which is used in conjunction with a specific activity, e. ...

An oft quoted example is Samuel Johnson's definition for oats: "Oats: a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland, supports the people." Samuel Johnson circa 1772, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. ... Binomial name Avena sativa Carolus Linnaeus (1753) The Oat (Avena sativa) is a species of cereal grain, and the seeds of this plant. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages None official English de facto Capital None official London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ...

To which his Scots associate, James Boswell, replied "that is why England is chiefly noted for its horses and Scotland for its people" (slight paraphrase). James Boswell James Boswell (October 29, 1740 - May 19, 1795) was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland. ...