What is a Definition? |
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Authors: | James Robert Brown |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto, Canada |
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Abstract: | According to the standard view of definition, all defined terms are mere stipulations, based on a small set of primitive terms.
After a brief review of the Hilbert-Frege debate, this paper goes on to challenge the standard view in a number of ways. Examples
from graph theory, for example, suggest that some key definitions stem from the way graphs are presented diagramatically and
do not fit the standard view. Lakatos's account is also discussed, since he provides further examples that suggest many definitions
are much more than mere convenient abbreviations.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | definition notation proof diagram Hilbert-Frege debate Lakatos |
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