The question (15 marks)
What purposes does definition serve, and how far can a definition settle a dispute? Explain the six kinds of definition, and distinguish a stipulative from a lexical definition. (15 marks)
MU Module IV, heads 4.1 and 4.3; pack ch. 12.
Plan your answer on paper before you look at the authorities — issue first, then the rule, then apply it to these facts.
It tests Unit 4 · Definition and Logical Division of Logic – I.
Authorities you will need
- Aristotle, who recognised only real definition
- Keynes, Formal Logic, on connotation as conventional intension
- Whitehead and Aristotle, whose stipulated meanings of zero and citizen are the standard examples
How an answer is marked
A full-marks answer names the issue in one line, states the rule with its section, cites the authority, applies it to these facts and concludes — in that order. The app's model answer for this question is written in exactly that shape, with a checklist to mark your own attempt against.