Case Study Lesson 4: Making Claims And Defining Terms
PHIL 201
Study Guide Lesson 4: Making Claims and Defining Terms
Points:
A) The seven preliminary matters in preparing to philosophize –
1) Philosophizing involves four psychological traits that improve effective communication:
the courage to examine one’s cherished beliefs critically,
a willingness to advance tentative hypotheses and to take the first step in reacting to a philosophical claim, no matter how foolish that reaction might seem at the time,
a desire to place the search for truth above the satisfaction of apparently “winning” the debate or the frustration of “losing” it, and
an ability to separate one’s personality from the content of a discussion
2) Philosophizing is a skill that must be developed with …show more content…
(civil rights), Albert Einstein (science), Christianity (religion)
15) Borderline Example – borderline examples are used to clarify the limits of a concept’s applicability – they are often helpful when, although we understand the essential meaning of a concept, we are uncertain how far that meaning extends – borderline examples must sometimes be invented when no actual cases readily appear
16) Denotative Definition – that meaning of a term or phrase which is derived from the things or kinds of things to which the term refers > example: philosopher – refers to (or denotes) the class of philosophers, which includes Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. This class is the denotation of the term
17) Connotative Definition – the meaning of a term or phrase, usually expressed as the properties something must have in order to belong to a certain class > example: being a closed, three-sided figure is part of the connotation of “triangle,” for something must possess these properties in order to be a
Study Guide Lesson 4: Making Claims and Defining Terms
Points:
A) The seven preliminary matters in preparing to philosophize –
1) Philosophizing involves four psychological traits that improve effective communication:
the courage to examine one’s cherished beliefs critically,
a willingness to advance tentative hypotheses and to take the first step in reacting to a philosophical claim, no matter how foolish that reaction might seem at the time,
a desire to place the search for truth above the satisfaction of apparently “winning” the debate or the frustration of “losing” it, and
an ability to separate one’s personality from the content of a discussion
2) Philosophizing is a skill that must be developed with …show more content…
(civil rights), Albert Einstein (science), Christianity (religion)
15) Borderline Example – borderline examples are used to clarify the limits of a concept’s applicability – they are often helpful when, although we understand the essential meaning of a concept, we are uncertain how far that meaning extends – borderline examples must sometimes be invented when no actual cases readily appear
16) Denotative Definition – that meaning of a term or phrase which is derived from the things or kinds of things to which the term refers > example: philosopher – refers to (or denotes) the class of philosophers, which includes Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, etc. This class is the denotation of the term
17) Connotative Definition – the meaning of a term or phrase, usually expressed as the properties something must have in order to belong to a certain class > example: being a closed, three-sided figure is part of the connotation of “triangle,” for something must possess these properties in order to be a