SSH 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Parallelogram, Vagueness, Fallacy
19 Jun 2018
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SSH105
Lecture 12
Definitions
- Different kinds of definitions with different purposes in defining things
- People who write the dictionary, their job is to report how people actually use words not
in business of how we should report words
- Reportive definitions-
- Sometimes we define words in more precise way for a particular purpose
- Stipulative- not concerned with how people actually use words but say for this purpose
we are going to stipulate this is the way we use word- valid is going to mean _ in this
country, not reporting how people use word, say for our purpose we are going to use it
this way
- Sometimes we don’t debate about how words are used but we debate about how words
are ought to be used
- Normative- claim word ought to be used this way as opposed to how it is used
- Etc. marriage people use it different ways, there is debate in countries about how it ought
to be used, do not debate gay marriage by taking poll on how people use marriage but
how we ought to use it, marriage ought to include everyone in it, including men and men,
women and women
- Does no good in normative debate about how word should be used to point out that
people use it differently, has nothing to do with debate on how it should be used
- Want to be reasonably precise on gay marriage, human life etc.
- Rule of thumb- higher the stakes, the more we want to be careful with the definition
- What does it mean to intend to do something? High stakes if about criminal
- Lots of bad language involve loose language, lack of care to how words are used can lead
to confusion
Evaluating definitions
- Definition is too narrow when it leaves out stuff it should include
- Etc. if I offer a definition of a student, that definition is too narrow because it leaves out
other students, high school, elementary, too narrow because it excludes stuff it shouldn’t
- Enrolled in university is not necessary but it is sufficient
- Marriage definition is too narrow it ought to include men and men, women and women
- Definition is too broad and casts too wide of a net, including things it shouldn’t because
TV is also an electronic device with a screen, now TV is considered in definition
- Being an electronic device does not include something as a computer
- No it is not necessarily because in olden days computers did not have screens
- These are counter examples
Counter-examples
- Counter examples for definitions
- Triangle- all triangles do not have to have 90 degrees, there is acute, and different
triangles, too narrow
- Dog- cat, horse, too broad
- Square- rectangle, parallelogram, too broad
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- Car- too narrow, there are electric, solar powered cars etc., do not have to have doors, if
doors fall off it is still a car
- Definition of dog is too narrow because it stipulates that dogs who lose a leg are not a
dog anymore
Ambiguity and Vagueness
- Word or phrase is ambiguous when a word or phrase has multiple meanings
- Word or phrase is vague then there is no sharp cut-off for when it applies or when it
doesn’t
- Etc. suppose you got 20000 hairs on your head, you are not bald, if you have 0 hairs you
are bald, but if someone has 1 or 2 hairs on head you are still described as bald- if you
have 5, 10, 20 hairs you are still bald, where is cut off for when you are not bald? No
specific cut off for when it applies or doesn’t
- How much money do you need to be poor or rich?
- Heap or pile always comes up- if you have 0 pebbles or grains of sand, there is not a heap
or pile but if you have 20 000 you have a heap or pile but where is cut off between heap
or pile
Fallacy of equivocation
- No one has reason besides man, animals do not have reason, women do not have reason
- Sexist conclusion
- It is wrong because premise one is thought to be all gender included but in premise 2 it is
being used in different way- using man to refer to all humans, then only to refer to actual
man
- Fallacy is a recognized mistake in reasoning
- This particular fallacy happens when you have ambiguity in a conclusion and _____
- Equivocate- multiple reasons
- Ad- valid argument but like Mike is suggested twice- premise 1- broad, want to be
wealthy, athletic etc. premise 2- makes trivial point,
- If ad is an argument it is trading on ambiguity
A lot
- A lot of people like to point out ambiguity and vagueness in argument but that is
argument stopper
- Consider- suppose you want to resist or criticize argument, can say where do you draw
line between art and pornography, using that to stop argument is not substantial criticism,
said hey there is vague term in argument, big deal, can have richer debate by engaging
with premises and conclusion, is it true that premise 1 is true?
- Having vague term does not make argument bad
- If want to criticise argument go farther, ask if premises are reasonable to believe and if
they make conclusion reasonable to believe
Common mistakes
- Common mistakes in arguments called fallacies
- Slippery slope fallacy
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Different kinds of definitions with different purposes in defining things. People who write the dictionary, their job is to report how people actually use words not in business of how we should report words. Sometimes we define words in more precise way for a particular purpose. Sometimes we don"t debate about how words are used but we debate about how words are ought to be used. Normative- claim word ought to be used this way as opposed to how it is used. Does no good in normative debate about how word should be used to point out that people use it differently, has nothing to do with debate on how it should be used. Want to be reasonably precise on gay marriage, human life etc. Rule of thumb- higher the stakes, the more we want to be careful with the definition. Lots of bad language involve loose language, lack of care to how words are used can lead to confusion.
