Definition
What is definition? How should it be defined?
It is non-controversial that definitions play a central role in any belief system, for after all propositions make use of terms which often have definitions. Some propositions attempt to provide a definition of a term. Thus, it is important to have a coherent notion of definition, i.e. a definition of definition.
In the scientonomic context, this term was first used by Hakob Barseghyan in 2018. The term is currently accepted by Scientonomy community.
In Scientonomy, the accepted definition of the term is:
- A statement of the meaning of a term.
Scientonomic History
Acceptance Record of the Term
Community | Accepted From | Acceptance Indicators | Still Accepted | Accepted Until | Rejection Indicators |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scientonomy | 8 October 2018 | The question became accepted as legitimate with the publication of Barseghyan's Redrafting the Ontology of Scientific Change. | Yes |
All Definitions
Theory | Formulation | Formulated In |
---|---|---|
Definition (Barseghyan-2018) | A statement of the meaning of a term. | 2018 |
Accepted Definitions
Community | Theory | Formulation | Accepted From | Accepted Until |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scientonomy | Definition (Barseghyan-2018) | A statement of the meaning of a term. | 1 September 2019 |
Suggested Modifications
Modification | Community | Date Suggested | Summary | Date Assessed | Verdict | Verdict Rationale |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sciento-2018-0007 | Scientonomy | 8 October 2018 | Accept the definition of definition as a statement of the meaning of a term. | 1 September 2019 | Accepted | The consensus on this modification emerged primarily off-line. It was agreed that whether or not "definitions can have a truth value" is irrelevant to this modification and that "the question of most relevance to scientonomy is whether definitions can be accepted or not accepted by an epistemic agent".c1 It was also noted that the consensus concerning this modification "has manifested on several occasions, including the first scientonomy conference in May 2019 in Toronto."c2 |
Current Definition
In Scientonomy, the accepted definition of the term is Definition (Barseghyan-2018).
Definition (Barseghyan-2018) states: "A statement of the meaning of a term."
This somewhat simplistic definition of definition is meant to highlight that definitions are themselves theories (statements, propositions). As a result, any stance that can be taken by epistemic agents towards theories can also be taken towards definitions.
Ontology
Existence
In Scientonomy, it is currently accepted that "There is such a thing as a definition."
Subtypes
In Scientonomy, there are currently no accepted subtypes of Definition.
Supertypes
In Scientonomy, the following supertype of Definition is currently accepted:
Associations
In Scientonomy, there are currently no accepted associations of Definition.
Disjointness
In Scientonomy, no classes are currently accepted as disjoint with Definition.
Epistemic Stances Towards Definitions
In Scientonomy, the accepted answers to the question can be summarized as follows:
- The stances of theory acceptance, theory pursuit and theory use can be taken towards a theory.
Reducibility of Definitions
The question has no accepted answer.
If a question concerning the ontology of a definition is missing, please add it here.
Dynamics
Mechanism of Scientific Inertia for Definitions
The question has no accepted answer.
Mechanism of Definition Rejection
The question has no accepted answer.
Necessary Definitions
The question has no accepted answer.
If a question concerning the dynamics of a definition is missing, please add it here.