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Single Idea 9847
[filed under theme 2. Reason / D. Definition / 7. Contextual Definition
]
Full Idea
The standard sense of a 'contextual definition' permits the eliminating of the defined expression, by transforming any sentence containing it into an equivalent one not containing it.
Gist of Idea
A contextual definition permits the elimination of the expression by a substitution
Source
Michael Dummett (Frege philosophy of mathematics [1991], Ch.11)
Book Ref
Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.134
A Reaction
So the whole definition might be eliminated by a single word, which is not equivalent to the target word, which is embedded in the original expression. Clearly contextual definitions have some problems
The
14 ideas
with the same theme
[definition relying wholly on facts about context]:
9845
|
We can't define a word by defining an expression containing it, as the remaining parts are a problem
[Frege]
|
9844
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Originally Frege liked contextual definitions, but later preferred them fully explicit
[Frege, by Dummett]
|
9822
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Nothing should be defined in terms of that to which it is conceptually prior
[Frege, by Dummett]
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21560
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Any linguistic expression may lack meaning when taken out of context
[Russell]
|
19047
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Bentham's contextual definitions preserved terms after their denotation became doubtful
[Quine]
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19048
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Contextual definition shifted the emphasis from words to whole sentences
[Quine]
|
8995
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Definition by words is determinate but relative; fixing contexts could make it absolute
[Quine]
|
9847
|
A contextual definition permits the elimination of the expression by a substitution
[Dummett]
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10476
|
The idea that groups of concepts could be 'implicitly defined' was abandoned
[Hodges,W]
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10142
|
The attempt to define numbers by contextual definition has been revived
[Wright,C, by Fine,K]
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9961
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'Contextual definitions' replace whole statements, not just expressions
[Mautner]
|
10204
|
An 'implicit definition' gives a direct description of the relations of an entity
[Shapiro]
|
18776
|
Contextual definitions eliminate descriptions from contexts
[Linsky,B]
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9955
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Contextual definitions replace a complete sentence containing the expression
[George/Velleman]
|