A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of TeachingMcNair, George Hastings
Philosophy
A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching
McNair, George Hastings
Logic
(5) The Kinds of Definitions.
(1) Etymological.
(2) Descriptive.
(3) Logical.
THREE KINDS ILLUSTRATED AND COMPARED.
(6) When the Three Kinds are Serviceable.
(7) The Rules of Logical Definition.
(1) _Essentials._
(2) Same _size_.
(3) Do not _repeat_.
(4) _Unambiguous._
(5) _Language_ affirmative.
(8) Terms Which Cannot be Defined Logically.
Summum genus.
Infima species.
Sui generis.
Collective terms.
A single attribute.
=11. SUMMARY.=
(1) To be logical one must acquire the habit of accurate definition.
This topic ought to appeal strongly to the school teacher, who should
above all others make his work stand for clearness, pointedness and
continuity.
(2) A predicable is a term which can be affirmed or predicated of any
subject.
The five predicables are Genus, Species, Differentia, Property and
Accident.
(1) A Genus is a term which stands for two or more subordinate
classes.
(2) A Species is a term which represents one of the subordinate
classes.
The _proximate genus_ of a species is the next class above the
species, while the _summum genus_ is the highest possible class
in any graded series of terms. The lowest class is the _infima
species_ of that series. The lowest class may be individual.
In natural history genus and species are not relative terms, but
absolute, having a fixed place in the series of gradations.
The term genus possesses a double meaning: it may be used to
represent objects (extensionally) or qualities (intensionally).
(3) The differentia is that attribute which distinguishes a given
species from all the other species of the genus.
(4) A property of a term is any attribute which helps to make that
term what it is.
Differentia is a property according to definition. Some logicians
would not include the differentia in the content of the term
property.
(5) An accident of a term is any attribute which does not help
to make it what it is. Some authorities divide accidents into
separable and inseparable.
(3) A definition of a term is a statement of its meaning by enumerating
its characteristic attributes.
(4) Definitions explain a term intensionally, while logical division
explains a term extensionally.
(5) There are three kinds of definitions: (1) etymological,
(2) descriptive, (3) logical.
An etymological definition is based upon the derivation of the term;
a descriptive definition states the characteristic properties and
accidents of a term, while a logical definition is simply a statement
of the differentia of a term.
(6) The etymological definition leads to precision of expression, the
descriptive definition is best adapted to the child-mind, while the
logical definition belongs to the realm of secondary education.
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