Dictionaries tell us how terms are used, whether they are used correctly or not. Dictionaries don’t tell us how to identify the concepts labeled by those terms. This glossary attempts to do that. Instead of saying, "Here's what this term means," we're saying, "Here is one single concept this term has labeled, but we're not going to confuse it with other concepts this term has labeled, and we're not going to confuse this term with other terms that have labeled this concept." It's one term to one concept, regardless of popular usage. This is a step toward an integrated system of mutually compatible concept identifiers. It is also a work in progress, and must be upgraded until everything in the universe is properly identified & categorized and all ambiguity is stomped out of existence.
BLUE: terms links to terms links to outside references
RED: abbreviations of philosophical terms: abs. - absolute rel. - relative obj. - objective sbj. - subjective ont. - ontological epis. - epistemological pop. - popular definition p.b.c. - properly basic concept
GREEN: common dictionary abbreviations cross referencing notes
| ability | (n.) p.b.c. a necessary attribute of something that can do something (contrast to energy, power1) |
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| absolute | (compare to objective) 1. (adj.) seen without reference to anything else (opposite: relative)
2. (adj.) not dependent on, or limited by anything outside itself (opposite: contingent1)
3. (adj.) whole or complete. (ant. partial)
4. (adj.) ultimate5. (n.) a thing that is absolute1,2,3,4 |
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| abstract | (adj. & n.) 1. existing independent of concrete1 space/time
e.g. logic, mathematics, propositions, relations
2. an unchanging property2 of nature1 existing in various and changing instantiations of
it (which is concrete4 by contrast) ( universal1b2 )
e.g. beauty, color |
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| accident | (n.) (contrast to chance) 1. an unexpected event interrupting a series of expected events
2. an attribute of something
a. which it might not have had
b. without which it would still be what it is (contrast to essence2a ) |
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| accord | (n.) (denotatively synonymous with accordance) (see conformity, consistency) agreement, metaphorical harmony |
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| act | p.b.c. (superset of react) 1. (v.t.) to do something a. voluntarily
2. (n.) (syn. action) something done
b. involuntarily a. voluntarily
b. involuntarily |
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| action | (n.) (syn. act2 ) (superset of reaction) something done |
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| actual | (adj.) (Synonyms: existing, real1 ) a p.b.c. understandable only in contrast to supposed antonyms: 1. existing as opposed to apparent2 2. existing as opposed to imaginary1a a. existing as opposed to fictitious
1. existing as opposed to hypothetical
3. existing as opposed to possible4. existing as opposed to potential |
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| ad hoc | (adj.) lit. “to this,” for this specific purpose |
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| ad hoc hypothesis | (n.) a hypothesis introduced in order to: 1. explain away facts that seem to refute a weak but favored theory.
2. complicate the issue when the evidence available points to an unfavorable conclusion |
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| aesthetic | Who needs this dippy spelling? Go here. esthetic |
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| affect | (v.t.) (contrast to effect, influence) to cause an effect1 When you affect something, you have an effect on it. Unfortunately affect is sometimes used as a noun and effect as a verb, which screws everything up. |
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| a fortiori | (adj. & adv.) 1. “all the more” 2. (specifically of arguments) that which must be admitted for an even stronger reason
e.g. If A has attribute X, then B has more attribute X. or If A has attribute X, then B more certainly has attribute X. |
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| agnostic |
2. (n.) a person without knowledge (contrast to skeptic)
a. a person who doesn't know anything
(a theoretical category with no actual members)
b. a person who doesn't know if X is true
1. A "hard" agnostic says no one knows if X is true,
and it is impossible to know if X is true.
2. A "soft" agnostic says he does not know if X is true, but someone may, and it might be possible to know if X is true.
a. and who wants to know (worth talking to)
b. but doesn't want to know (a total waste of time)
A soft agnostic is the only pure agnostic, because a hard agnostic claims to know something isn't known.
2b includes theological agnostics who don't know if God exists (contrast to atheist) Theological agnostic requires a further definition of God. |
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| ambiguous | (adj.) (contrast to vague) having more than one possible meaning |
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| amount | (n.) (see magnitude) 1. the sum of a number of units
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| ampere | (n.) abbreviated amp. amount of current sent by one volt through a resistance of one ohm |
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| analysis | (n.) a. in order to discover new facts about the parts & the whole
2. a statement of the results of analysis1a |
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| analytic | (adj.) separated into parts (opposite: synthetic1 ) |
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| analytic statement | (n.) (opposite: synthetic statement) one relating a subject concept to a predicate concept which is denotatively indistinguishable from the subject concept i.e. The statement separates a subject into a subject and predicate, thus saying nothing but a tautology. |
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| animism | (n.) the world view that all things, animate or inanimate, have souls or spirits. (contrast to supernaturalism) |
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| annoy | (v.t.) to cause displeasure This is denotatively synonymous with torture. The only differences are connotative. Connotatively the main difference is in degree of displeasure, but any attempt to draw a line between these concepts will prove arbitrary. |
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| antecedent |
1. (adj.) prior to something else a. logically prior
b. temporally prior
2. (n.) the term that states the prior condition of any conditional statemente.g. If (antecedent) then (consequent), or (Consequent) if (antecedent) or (Consequent) unless (antecedent) |
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| anthropic principle | (n.) the principle2 that we would not be here to observe natural2 phenomena if they were not compatible with our existence. |
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| anticipate | (v.t.) (contrast to expect) to act as though a certain event will happen |
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| antinomy | (n.) a pair of equally defensible yet contradictory conclusions |
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| anti-realism | (n.) (superset of conceptualism & nominalism) the theory that: 1. real objects don't exist, have properties2 or relations independently of some knowledge or experience of them (opposite: realism1 )
2. universals1b2 don't exist external to minds. (opposite: realism2 ) |
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| antonym | (n.) Given a particular word, an antonym has some kind of reverse meaning, but not necessarily a true opposite. |
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| apologetics | (n.) defense of the truth of a position4, usually of a world view |
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| a posteriori | (ant. a priori)
1. (adj.) after and/or dependent on experience.
a. (n.) a judgment, principle2, or argument based on experience.
2. inductive reasoning from particular instances to general principles, or from effect to cause |
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| apparent | (adj.) 1. easily perceived by one of the senses
e.g. visible |
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| a priori |
(adj.) (ant. a posteriori) 1. based on reason alone prior to and/or independent of experience.
a. (n.) a judgment, principle2, or argument based on reason alone prior to and/or independent of experience.
2. deductive reasoning from general principles to particular instances, cause to effect |
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| arbitrary |
(adj.) chosen by the will of a chooser 1. as opposed to an absolute standard
2. as opposed to an objective standard
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| argument | (n.) 1. a sequence of propositions such that the former (premises) give reason to accept the latter (conclusion)
2. a verbal disagreement |
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| Arian | (often confused with Aryan) (adj.) supporting Arianism (n.) a believer of Arianism |
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| Arianism | (n.) the doctrine of Arius of Alexandria, who taught that Jesus is not of the same substance4 as God, but rather a created being |
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| Arminianism | (n.) (contrast to Calvinism) a subphilosophy (but not sect) of Protestantism, now little more than a straw man opponent of Calvinism conditional predestination: i.e.
God has predestined Himself to save those who voluntarily choose to repent & believe in Jesus. |
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| artificial | (adj.) 1. made by human effort (similar to synthetic1)
2. made to immitate something else (similar to counterfeit)
a. made to immitate something natural |
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| Aryan | (adj. & n.) (often confused with Arian) 1. originally a tribal name of Indo-Iranians 2. formerly the family of languages including Sanskrit, Iranian, & most European languages
a. the Indic & Iranian branches of this language
3. incorrectly a racial term for descendants of the people who spoke these languages
a. more incorrectly the Caucasian branches of these descendants |
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| assent | 1. (v.) to accept a proposition as true a. without knowing it
b. without evidence
2. (n.) the mental act of assent1 |
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| atheism | (n.) (opposite: theism) 1. the doctrine that (gods or) God does not exist
2. the doctrine that (gods or) God is irrelevant to human life
The above definitions require a further definition of God. |
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| atheist | (n.) (opposite: theist) 1. a person who says that God does not exist
2. a person who says that God is irrelevant to human life
3. pop. a person who "doesn't profess a belief in a God"
The above definitions require a further definition of God. (a popular but inaccurate definition held by agnostics who want to be called atheists1, but are smart enough to know they can't show that God doesn't exist) |
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| attitude | (n.) 1. originally the angle of something relative to the ground
(subset of position2 )
The definition was then expanded to describe: 2. body language
It was then expanded to praise or criticize a person's facade while pretending to praise or criticize the actual person (and sometimes the reverse). Now people often use this term to justify pretense. (e.g. a "good attitude") The word itself confuses appearance and reality. "Attitude" is used to describe both. 3. one's true emotions or opinions (consciously expressed or not)
4. outward expression of emotions/opinions
a. outward expression of one's true emotions/opinions
1. expressed consciously
2. expressed unconsciously
b. outward expression of faked emotions/opinions
1. expressed consciously
2. expressed unconsciously |
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| attribute | 1. (n.) denotatively indistinguishable from: aspect, characteristic, feature,
quality1, property2, trait
These terms cannot be defined except by reference to each other, or in general as something "had" by a substance. (syn. property2 ) 2. (v.t.) to assign to, or think of as belonging to, produced by, or resulting from |
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| authentic | (adj.) (similar to genuine) 1. authoritative 2. trustworthy, reliable |
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| axiology | (n.) (subset of philosophy) (sibling set of epistemology & ontology) the theory or study of values, usually divided into two subsets: esthetics and ethics. |
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| axiom | (n.) (contrast to dogma) (compare to law2a ) 1. a basic principle2 that cannot be deduced from other principles but is the starting point from which other statements are derived or deduced.
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| bad | (adj.) (see pleasure / displeasure) one of the two primary values (opposite: good) commonly divided into esthetic bad (unpleasant) & ethical bad (evil) 1. rel. not accepted, disliked, unpleasant 2. abs. not accepted by, disliked by, unpleasant to the Supreme Being I dare you to come up with a more workable definition. |
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| be | p.b.c. (v.i.) There's no point in trying to define it. We all must assume we know what it means. |
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| being | 1. (n.) an existing thing or object, material1 or immaterial
2. (part.) existinga. and not changing (in contrast with becoming) |
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| belief | (n.) (see essay) 2. a willful decision to act as though a particular proposition or position4 is true or probable (syn. trust2 )
(denotatively indistinguishable from faith2a ) a. a willful decision to claim to think something is true or probable2 in order to get the benefits of the claim
3. that position4 referred to in 2 |
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| believe | (v.) 1. to think something is true or probable2 2. to willfully choose to act as though a particular proposition or position4 is true or probable (syn. to trust1 )
a. to claim to think something is true or probable2 in order to get the benfits of the claim |
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| boundary | (n.)
(denotatively indistinguishable from: edge, border, & perimeter) Collectively they are definable as a location where one thing stops and another starts.
A two dimensional boundary is either a hiatus having no thickness or a stripe having thickness.
A three dimensional boundary is either a surface having no thickness or a skin having thickness.
A boundary is either distinct (hard edged) or indistinct (soft edged). |
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| burden of proof | (n.)
In a dispute between one whose point is provable and one whose point is not provable,
b.o.p. is an obligation on him whose point is provable to do so. (see essay) |
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| Calvinism | (n.) (not exactly contrasted to Arminianism) Christian determinism (They don't like this definition, but it's either this or a mass of mush designed to obscure its contradicions.)
The sovereignty of God must be defended at all cost. Therefore God is absolutely sovereign over every event. Therefore no event is accidental, random, or uncontroled.Two types: Supralapsarianism & Infralapsarianism
Supralapsarianism: Before the Creation, God predestined some for heaven & others for hell.
Infralapsarianism: Before the Creation, God predestined some stuff, but pussyfooted around the hell issue. After the Creation, God predestined some people for heaven.
In its existing forms, Calvinism is either logically inconsistent, or it implies that God deliberately creates some people to condemn them to eternal torment. |
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| categorize | (v.t.) to identify a category by a common criterion which is not common to all other things |
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| category | (n.) (syn. set) (composed of members) any group of things distinguished2 from all other things by having at least one criterion in common which is not common to all other things. |
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| cause | (contrast to: motivate, persuade, influence) 1. (v.t.) to force a change to happen 2. (n.) that which is responsible for any change (which is its effect) There are no such things as necessary and sufficient causes. There are necessary and sufficient conditions to cause effects, or necessary and sufficient causal conditions. The difference may seem trivial, but a "necessary cause" is not necessarily a cause. |
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| certain | (adj.) (contrast to probable, possible) relative to propositions 1. abs. obj. true and known to be true 2. sbj. thought to be known3 |
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| certainty | (n.) relative to propositions 1.abs. obj. that which is true and known to be true (i.e. proven) 2. sbj. thinking you have knowledge3 There are no degrees of certainty. Therefore any probability2 judgment short of certainty is belief1. If you want to talk degrees, try certitude. |
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| certitude | (n.) sbj. the degree of confidence you have that you know something |
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| chance | (syn. possibility1 ) (contrast to accident, probability)
1. ont. (n.) something that may or may not be
a. something that may or may not have been in the past
b. something that may or may not be in the present
c. something that may or may not be in the future (potential2)
2. epis. (adj.) unpredictable
a. (n.) the quality of unpredictability
b. (n.) an event the occurrence of which is unpredictable |
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| change |
1. (v.i.) to become different
2. (v.t.) to cause to become different
3. (n.) the result) of changing1 |
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| cheat |
(v.t.) to violate a contract
1. of a written contract 2. of an implied contract |
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| choose | (v.t.) to perform a choice1 |
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| clear | (adj.) 1. allowing light to pass through (syn. transparent, opposite of opaque)
2. unobstructed
3. of propositions or sets of propositions:
not illogical, ambiguous, or vague Clarity is not related to understanding. e.g. Calculus is perfectly clear whether I understand it or not, though it may be explained unclearly. |
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| coherence | (n.) 1. sticking together; cohesion 2. logically consistent, integrated, & intelligible a. under theories of truth, the sibling set of correspondence
Coherence2 is not related to understanding.
e.g. Calculus is perfectly coherent whether I understand it or not, though it may not be explained coherently. |
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| coherence theory of truth | (contrast to correspondence theory of truth) The truth of a body of beliefs and/or propositions is determined by their internal & mutual consistency. This and correspondence theory are not mutually exclusive, and therefore constitute attributes1 of truth, rather than opposing theories. |
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| common sense | (a vague, ambiguous, & subjective term) 1. (n.) that faculty by which minds know that logic is reliable, choose foundational
premises, and comprehend inductive logic (i.e. that which tells you that the more often an event is repeated, the more likely it is to happen again)
2. (adj.) generally agreed on
a. (n.) category of unproven propositions on which most people agree ("Most people" is another can of worms.) |
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| compatiblism | (n.) (a subset of determinism) the theory that causal determination of human conduct is compatible with the freedom required for moral responsibility |
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| complement | (n.)
the set of all and only those things that are not included in the set designated (see antonym, negative) e.g. The complement of A is everything in the universe that is not A. |
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| complete system | (n.) a system whose axioms1 or rules of inference1 are adequate to demonstrate every true proposition, or to justify any valid argument |
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| complex | (adj.) containing more than one kind of part (contrast to composite & simple) |
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| compose | (v.) to put parts together |
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| composite | (adj.) (opposite: incomposite) (contrast to complex & singular) containing more than one part |
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| composition | (n.)
1. what a thing is made of ; ingredients
2. a thing made of ingredients |
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| concept | (n.)
a unit of thought that is recognizable as such A term corresponds to a concept, which corresponds to a thing. A concept can be labeled by one or several terms. e.g. "Dog" is a concept. "Big black dog" is a concept. "Big black dog on a surfboard" can be seen as one or two concepts, because there are no official rules delimiting what a concept can be. Types of concepts: abstract1 concept: not space/time dependent
extended2 concept: space/time dependent
singular concept: containing no parts
composite concept: containing more than one part
simple concept: containing one kind of part
complex concept: containing more than one kind of part
incremented concept: containing degrees or fractions of itself
non-incremented concept: containing no degrees or fractions of itself
properly basic concept: cannot be defined
definable concept: can be defined by other concepts |
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| conceptualism | (subset of anti-realism) (sibling set of nominalism) the theory that: Only particulars and collections of particulars exist. Properties2 exist, but are dependent on minds to exist. Universals1 are properties that can be in more than one particular at the same time. Universals are reducible to particular concepts in minds. |
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| conclusion | (n.) a proposition which logically follows from two (or more) premises of a valid argument |
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| concrete | (adj.) 1. physical 2. perceivable by the senses 3. referring to a particular entity, as opposed to its general category
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| condition | (n.) 1. an essential requirement for the existence of something
2. anything that modifies an attribute of something else
3. a state of affairsa. in relation to something that implies it
b. in relation to something that it implies |
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| conditional | 1. (adj.) expressing a condition or conditions a. (adj.) containing a condition or conditions
2. (adj.) implying a condition or conditions3. (adj.) dependent on a condition or conditions 4. (n.) a statement which is conitional1,2,3 |
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| conditional statement | (n.) (subset of deduction) (sibling set of syllogism) (superset of modus ponens, & modus tolens) a statement of the form: if P, then Q The if clause is antecedent. The then clause is consequent.
The minimal requirement for the truth of a conditional statement is that the consequent not be false when the antecedent is true. |
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| conflate | (v.) literally blow together to sloppily treat two different concepts as though they were indistinguishable |
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| conformity | (n.) accordance of form |
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| connote | (v.t.) (contrast to denote2) to suggest or imply2 something in addition to the explicit |
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| connotation | (n.) (contrast to denotation2) Connotations of a term are all attributes of that term. |
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| conscious | (adj.) (syn. aware) experiencing thoughts, sense perceptions, & emotions. |
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| consciousness | (n.) (syn. awareness, perception1 ) The state in which a self experiences, e.g. thoughts, sense perceptions, & emotions. |
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| consequence |
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| consequent | (adj.) following as a result1 (n.) a proposition resulting from an antecedent proposition e.g. If (antecedent) then (consequent) (Consequent) if (antecedent) or (Consequent) unless (antecedent) |
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| consistency | (n.)
1. degree of logical or intuitive connection
a. with itself
b. with something else 2. degree of accord or agreement
a. with itself
b. with something else 3. degree of firmness, thickness, viscosity, uniformity |
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| consistent | (adj.)
1. in logical or intuitive connection
a. with itself
b. with something else 2. in accord or agreement
a. with itself b. with something else |
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| constant |
1. (adj.) not changing (contrast to continual, continuous) a. not changing within a finite time period
b. not changing within an indefinite time period
c. never changing (immutable1)
2. (adj.) not likely to changea. not likely to change within a finite time period
b. not likely to change within an indefinite time period
c. never likely to change
3. (n.) something which is constant1,2 |
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| contingent | (adj.) (opposite: non-contingent) (subset of relative) from Latin, "to touch on all sides" 1. dependent on, or limited by something else for its existence, truthfulness, functionality, or enactment (opposite: absolute2 )
e.g. B is possible1 in the case:
If A then B. If not A then maybe B. B is contingent on A in the case: If A then maybe B. If not A then not B. |
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| continual | (adj.) (contrast to continuous), constant1,2, perpetual) repeating a. within a finite space or time period b. in an indefinite space or time period c. in infinite space or eternal time |
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| continuous | (adj.) (contrast to continual, constant1,2, perpetual) extending without interruption a. within a finite space or time period b. in an indefinite space or time period c. in infinite space or eternal time |
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| contradiction | (n.) (contrast to contraries) relationship of two propositions which cannot both be true and cannot both be false |
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| contrapositive | (adj. & n.) (sibling set of converse & obverse) (contrast to antonym) relationship of two categorical propositions of the same form such that the subject term of each is the complement of the predicate term of the other. (logical equivalents for A and O propositions) i.e. A (All S are P) contraposes to (All non-P are non-S). O (Some S are non-P) contraposes to (Some non-P are non-S). |
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| contraries | (n.) (opposite: subcontraries) a pair of propositions which cannot both be true, but can both be false (contrast to contradiction) |
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| converse | (adj. & n.) (sibling set of contrapositive & obverse) (contrast to reverse) relationship of two categorical propositions of the same form such that the subject term of each is the predicate term of the other (logical equivalents for E and I propositions)
i.e. E (No S are P) converts to (No P are S). I (Some S are P) converts to (Some P are S). |
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| correspond | (v.i.) 1. to be paired with one among multiple possibilities
a. to conform to one among multiple possibilities
b. to be similar to one among multiple possibilities
2. that which each member in a relation2 does with respect to the other
3. to communicate indirectly |
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| correspondence | (n.)
the relationship2 of the members of an ordered pair |
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| correspondence theory of truth | (contrast to coherence theory) The truth of beliefs & propositions is determined by one to one correspondence between their terms & implications and external facts. This and coherence theory are not mutually exclusive, and therefore constitute attributes of truth, rather than opposing theories. |
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| cosmological argument for the existence of God | (n.) (see ontological, teleological, & transcendental arguments) 1. Assuming that rest is natural2, and motion unnatural2, a Prime Mover is necessary.
(Plato)
2. Everything now existing was either caused by something, or it is eternal. An infinite regression of causes is impossible. Therefore a first cause existed, and is therefore eternal, and therefore exists now and forever. (Aquinas) |
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| criterion | (n.) a standard by which a judgment can be formed |
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| deceive | (v.t.) (contrast to lie1 ) to cause a thinker to think what is not true |
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| deceived | (pass. v. & adj.) thinking what is not true |
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| deceiver | (n.) (contrast to liar) that which causes deception |
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| deception | (n.) (contrast to lie2 ) that which causes a thinker to think what is not true |
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| declarative statement | (n.) a statement that says something is true |
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| declare | (v.t.) to say that something is true |
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| decrement | (adj.) (opposite: increment) 1. amount of decrease
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| deduction | (n.) (subset of logic) (a type of argument along with induction) (superset of syllogisms & conditional statements) 1. the process of drawing a necessary logical conclusion from given premises
2. the conclusion drawn from deduction1
It is often said that deduction proceeds from general or universal propositions to particular examples. This is a specific form of deduction (a priori2 ) (synthesis3 ) which is not always the way deduction works. e.g. All A is B. All B is C. Therefore all A is C. Some A is B. All B is C. Therefore some A is C. |
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| define | (v.t.) 1. to be a boundary, edge, or border
a. to be the criteria for which a thing is inside or outside of a category
2. to identify something by its boundary, edge, or border
a. to identify criteria for which a thing is inside or outside of a category |
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| defined | (adj.) (contrast to vague) 1. having a boundary, edge, or border 2. having identified boundaries, edges, or borders |
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| definition | (n.)
a description which distinguishes something: 1. from everything else (exhaustive definition)
2. enough to identify it in the context under discussion (sufficient definition)
types of definitions according to usage:
lexical: reports the way a term is used (dictionary definition)
theoretical: proposes an understanding2 of a term in relation to certain theories
stipulative: arbitrarily defines a term for use in a particular context
persuasive: attaches emotive significance to a term
types of definitions according to contents:genetic: where it comes from, or what it's part of
compositional: lists enough of its parts to distinguish it
attributive: lists enough of its attributes to distinguish it |
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| deism | (n.) the world view that the Being who created this world: 1. never acted in this world 2. at some time stopped acting in this world |
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| denotation | (n.) 1. a marking applied to members of a set in order to form a subset
2. the explicit meaning of a term without secondary implication2 (contrast to connotation) The denotation of a term is that set of members included in the term. |
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| denote | (v.t.) 1. to mark, indicate, designate, make known by a sign
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| deserve | (v.t.) This + justice1a constitutes a p.b.c. 1. to require something (reward or punishment) in order to achieve justice1
Only free-will emotional beings can deserve something.
a. as payment for past willful acts b. as rectitude for past injustice received |
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| desire | (v.t.) This + want constitutes a p.b.c. |
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| destiny | (n.) (syn. fate) (see determinism) that which happens of necessity
1. that which necessarily will happene.g. death & taxes 2. that which happens because it is determined 3. that which has happened because it was determined Other than logical and physical necessity, this concept cannot be shown to exist, except relative to a given truth. e.g. If A, then B will happen. |
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| determinism | (n.) (opposite: indeterminism) (For levels & kinds, see essay) the theory that: 1. All events occur as the inevitable consequence of antecedent causes. (Determinism1 equals causality.)
a. including the first event
b. except the first event
2. Some events occur as the inevitable consequence of antecedent causes. (Determinism2 doesn't equal causality.)
a. free-will decisions not included
b. within a given range of possibilities:
i.e. Given X number of possible events, one of them must happen.
c. Given events occur as the inevitable consequence of antecedent causes. (fatalism)
The opposite of determinism is indeterminism - not free will. The opposite of free will is bound will, which is no will. Free will can exist in a determined or undetermined universe.Between determinism1 and complete indeterminism (randomness) are degrees of causation inversely proportional to degrees of chance. e.g. from 99.n% chance to 50% chance in a binary system. from 99.n% chance to 0.n% chance in an unbounded system. |
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| differ | (v.i.) (contrast to change) 1. ont. not being the same 2. epis. appearing to not be the same |
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| difference | (n.) 1. ont. a thing that is not the same as another thing
2. epis. a thing that appears not to be the same as another thing |
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| different | (adj.) (ant. same) 1. ont. not the same 2. epis. appearing not the same |
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| dimension | (n.) (superset of time & distance, but not space because space includes three distance dimensions) 2. any quantity capable of increase or decrease
a. over a certain range b. infinitely |
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| distance | (n.) (see dimension, length) 2. a series of distance1s laid end to end in a not necessarily straight line |
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| distinct | (adj.) (opposite: indistinct) 1. discernable from something next to it
2. discernable from everything that is not it |
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| distinguish | (v.) 1. to differentiate something from something next to it
2. to differentiate something from everything that is not it
|
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| do | p.b.c. (v.t.) There's no point in trying to define it. We all must assume that we know what it means. |
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| dogma | (n.) (contrast to axiom) a proposition or doctrine asserted to be true without epistemological necessity or justification |
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| dogmatic | (adj.) pertaining to a proposition or doctrine asserted to be true without epistemological necessity or justification |
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| double aspect theory | (n.) (subset of epiphenomenalism) the mind-body view that body is basic, and produces mind. Mind reflects body, and corresponds to body with no true interaction. |
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| dualism | (n.) 1. distinction of two essential and mutually irreducible components in one system
(metaphysical dualism)
e.g. time/space, matter/energy
2. the world view that the universe is composed of (or explicable in terms of) two basic
entities e.g. mind/matter, appearance/reality (contrast to monism & pluralism)
a. the world view that the universe is composed of (or explicable in terms of) two antagonistic principles1, e.g. good/evil
3. the mind-body view that there are two underlying substances in humanness (sibling set of monism3 )
(superset of parallelism, occasionalism, pre-established harmony, interactionism) 4. the theological view that God is composed of two eternal opposing parts, e.g.
good/evil, male/female, spirit/matter, etc. |
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| effect | (n.) (contrast to affect)
2. power to produce that which is caused
When you affect something, you have an effect on it.e.g. A drug is said to have an effect, when it's really the person who takes the drug who has the effect. Unfortunately affect is sometimes used as a noun and effect as a verb, which screws everything up. |
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| emotion | (n.) (subset of mind) (sibling set of thought, sense perception, will)
(opposites: indifference, apathy) that part of mind which registers pleasure/displeasure, and converts thoughts & sense perceptions into value judgments Just as flavors are made of four primary types in pairs of opposites, emotions are made of six primary types: love/hate, joy/sorrow, courage/fear Half are pleasant, and half are unpleasant.
pleasant: love, joy, courage Pleasant emotions cause a desire for them to continue.
unpleasant: hate, sorrow, fear
Unpleasant emotions cause a desire for them to stop.
Emotions are involuntary events. Any attempt to directly control them fails. Attempts to condition them by willful decisions over time sometimes work, sometimes fail, and sometimes backfire violently.Emotions influence (but do not cause) willful decisions. No emotion affects ethics/morals, though they influence ethical/moral decisions. |
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| empirical | (adj.) (popularly contrasted with rational) 1. relying primarily on sense perception for knowledge
2. relying solely on sense perception for knowledge |
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| empiricism | (n.) 1. the theory that our only source of knowledge is experience, specifically, sense perception. (contrast to rationalism1 )
2. trying to know by sense perception. experimental method |
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| energy | (n.) (contrast to matter1b2 ) ability to do or act (syn. power1 ) (Energy in Joules) = (mass in kilograms) X (300,000,000 meters per second squared). |
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| entity | (n.) a thing which can be identified as a distinct part of the whole of reality |
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| epiphenomenalism | (n.) (subset of materialism1b ) (sibling set of physicalism2 ) (superset of double aspect theory) the mind-body view that brain produces mind as a by-product. Mind is a property2 of body and a relfection of brain. |
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| epistemological | (adj.) contrast to ontological 1. the fact that a thing is thought or known to be, as opposed to the fact that it exists (which is ontological1)
2. what a thing is thought to be, or how it is known to be, as opposed to what it is (which is ontological2) |
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| epistemological necessity | (n.) 1. abs. an attribute of a premise such that the premise must necessarily be true in order for knowledge to exist at all
e.g. It is epistemologically necessary that I know what knowledge is, though I can’t
define it without circularity.
It is epistemologically necessary that I know I exist, think, emote, perceive, & will. Any animal knows these things prior to language. 2. rel. an attribute of a premise such that the premise must necessarily be true in order for a particular type of knowledge to exist
e.g. It is epistemologically necessary that language be able to express reality in order to use language for that purpose. It is epistemologically necessary that logic be reliable for determining the truth of any proposition before using logic to prove anything. |
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| epistemology | (n.) (subset of philosophy) (sibling set to ontology & axiology) the theory or study of knowledge 1. what knowledge is 2. how we know a. how we know we know b. how we know what we know |
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| equivocal | (adj.) (contrast to univocal) 2. an attribute of a term that allows more than one meaning before its meaning becomes univocal by a specific context or use. |
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| equivocation | (n.) using the same term with two different meanings as though it had one meaning |
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| essence | (n.) 2. attributes of something (syn. nature1b )
a. attributes of something which make it what it is (contrast to accident2b ) |
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| essential | (adj.) (contrast to accidental2b ) (see natural1 ) necessary for something to be what it is |
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| esthetic | (adj.) affecting pleasure/displeasure |
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| esthetics | (n.) rel. sbj. (subset of values) (superset or sibling set of ethics) 1. all values except ethics (therefore including pragmatics)
2. judgments of beauty vs. ugliness (therefore not including pragmatics) |
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| eternal | (adj.) 1. having infinite time
2. atemporal
a. having no temporal beginning or end
b. having a temporal beginning but no temporal end (a created eternal)
c. having no temporal beginning but a temporal end (a former eternal) |
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| ethical | (adj.) 1. abs. conforming to an absolute1,2 standard for judging willful decisions & actions which
should or should not be practiced
There is no denotative distinction between ethical1 & moral. Conventional usage slants 'ethical' connotations toward business transactions and 'moral' toward more emotional issues.
2. rel. conforming to an arbitrary standard for judging willful decisions & actions
which should or should not be practiced |
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| ethics | (n.) rel. sbj. (subset of values) (subset or sibling set of esthetics) (contrast to morals, piety) a standard for distinguishing acceptable from unacceptable behavior in free-will beings, specifically willful acts which affect the rights or welfare of beings which feel pleasure/displeasure Ethics are less relative than esthetics in the sense of being more temporally and culturally uniform. Ethics are less subjective than esthetics in the sense of being more universally agreed on. 1. that which should be done a. that which should be done by a given person at a given time
2. an ideal2b code of conduct for an ideal2b person in an ideal2b society
There is no way to know if absolute1 and/or objective2 ethics exist. Absolute1 ethics: an eternal uniform code of ethics
Absolute1 ethics exist only if an absolute1 evaluator exists. Absolute1 ethics affect the desires of the absolute evaluator the same at all times under all conditions. Objective2 ethics: a code of ethics remaining the same regardless of diverse opinions Objective2 ethics exist only if an absolute1 evaluator exists. Objective2 ethics may affect the desires of the absolute evaluator differently at different times or under different conditions. |
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| evaluate | (v.t.) 1. obj. to count or measure something quantifiable
|
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| evangelical | (adj.) an attribute of persons who attempt to persuade others to believe what the evangelizer
believes |
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| event | (n.) a particular localized temporal segment of realityb (subset of fact1 ) |
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| evil | (adj.) (contrast to sin) ethically bad willfully causing undeserved displeasure |
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| evolution | (n.) step by step changes over time that take place in a system |
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| exist | (v.i.) p.b.c. 1. to be |
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| existence | (n.) p.b.c. 1. the state of being 2. the state of being actual or real (but not necessarily material1,2 ) as opposed to being
possible1 or imaginary2
3. that which has a definable place in reality. |
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| expect | (v.i.) 1. to think something will happen (contrast to anticipate) 2. to think something is probable |
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| experience | (n.) a change in a property2 of consciousness, including sense perception, emotion, and/or thought. |
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| explicit | (adj.)
clearly stated, as opposed to implied2 (ant. implicit1 ) |
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| extend | (v.) 1. to stretch something in time and/or space 2. to occupy concrete1 space/time |
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| extension | (n.) 1. part of something stretched out or added on 2. concrete1 space/time as opposed to conceptual space/time of mathematics
a. that property2 of an object by which it occupies space/time |
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| extraneous | (adj.) 2. not relevant |
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| extrinsic | (adj.) 2. being, coming, or acting from outside (syn. extraneous1 ) (opposite: intrinsic) |
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| fact | (n.) 2. a true proposition
a. that reality which corresponds to a true proposition |
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| faith | (n.) 1. a probability2 judgment
a. according to apparent odds (denotatively indistinguishable from belief1 )
b. against apparent odds
2. a willful decision to act as though a particular proposition or position4 is true
a. according to apparent odds (denotatively indistinguishable from belief2 )
b. against apparent odds
3. that position4 referred to in 2 |
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| fallacy | (n.) 1. falseness 2. an error in logical reasoning a. formal fallacy: a logical mistake making a deductive argument invalid
b. informal fallacy: a stated implication that frequently (but not always) is untrue.
e.g. Guilt by association: "He hangs out with bad kids, therefore he must be a bad kid." |
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| falsifiable | (adj.)
able to be proven false able to be proven false, but not able to be proven true (opposite: verifiable)
Ability to be proven false does not necessarily imply inability to be proven true. e.g. All S are P can be proven false by finding an S which is not P. All S are P can be proven true only by examining all S and finding none which are P. Some S are P can be proven true by finding one S which is a P. Some S are P can be proven false only by examining all S and finding none which are P, or by examining all P and finding none which are S. If a statement is falsifiable but not verifiable, then burden of proof rests on him who
says it is false. |
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| fatalism | (n.) (partial determinism2c ) the theory that a given event is determined to happen, but one or more of the following is not determined: the agent by which it happens
the object to which it happens
the time in which it happens
the place in which it happens |
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| fate | (n.) (syn. destiny) (see determinism) that which happens of necessity
1. that which necessarily will happene.g. death & taxes 2. that which happens because it is determined 3. that which has happened because it was determined Other than logical and physical necessity, this concept cannot be shown to exist, except relative to a given truth. e.g. If A, then B will happen. |
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| fiction | (n.) (superset of hypothesis) something imaginary created for a purpose |
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| flaw | (n.) 1. obj. an impurity (see pure) a. a deviation in a pattern
2. sbj. a disliked part or attribute of something b. a deviation from a given standard |
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| form | (n.) 1. the shape & structure of a substance or object as opposed to its compositional1 matter
a. visual representation
b. style as opposed to content |
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| fraction | (n.) a. seen as a complete unit (part)
e.g. an engine being part of a car
b. not seen as a complete unit
e.g. a slice off the front end of a car
2. a division of a whole number |
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| function | (n.) 1. a normal characteristic action of something
a. an essential action of a thing which makes that thing what it is
b. a normal characteristic action of a thing without which that thing would be considered defective
c. a normal characteristic, but unessential action of a thing
2. a thing that depends on and varies with something else
a. a variable quantity that depends on and varies with another variable quantity |
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| generic | (adj.) 1. non-specific a. including all members of a set
b. being any one of all members of a set
2. having the attributes of all members of a set
a. having all of the attributes of all members of a set (mixed)
b. having only those attributes common to all members of a set |
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| genuine | (adj.) (similar to authentic) (ant. artificial, counterfeit) 1. being what it appears to be
2. being what it is said to be |
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| God | (n.) ambiguous 1. the Supreme Being (assumed to be personal)
2. the being (assumed to be personal) who created this universe
3. the being (assumed to be personal) who created mankind
4. an assumed personal being to whom mankind is accountable
5. the God of Abraham
(who may be further subdivided according to world view)
Even with a capital G, the term is so ambiguous that it may be all or any combination of the above. |
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| good | p.b.c. (adj.) (see pleasure / displeasure) one of the two primary values (opposite: bad) commonly divided into esthetic & ethical good 1. rel. accepted, liked or preferred
2. abs. accepted, liked or preferred by the Supreme Being
I dare you to come up with a more workable definition. |
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| grace | (n.) 1. beauty, usually of motion 2. favor a. unmerited favor (a superset of mercy2 )
b. unrequired favor (a superset of mercy3 )
Favor has two abstract locations: a dispensing end, and a receiving end.
3. pop. name commonly given to a prayer before a meal |
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| gracious | (adj.) (a superset of merciful2 dispensing favor 1. dispensing unmerited favor
2. dispensing unrequired favor |
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| great | (adj.) rel. 1. obj. large 2. sbj. liked 3. sbj. good An absolute quality2 of greatness cannot be shown to exist or not exist. |
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| greater | (adj.) rel. (adj.) (comparative of great) A p.b.c. definable only by its synonyms: more, larger in reference to quantity or magnitude |
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| hedonism | (n.) 1. the value1 system which regards pleasure as the highest value (superset of materialism2 )
2. the psychological theory that pleasure is the ultimate motivator of willful decisions
3. pleasure seeking as a way of life (which makes perfect sense to those who have enough foresight to seek that which will ultimately give them the most pleasure for the duration of their existence) |
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| heresy | (n.) 1. thought contrary to a given standard
a. abs. thought contrary to truth
b. rel. thought contrary to a given world view or paradigm
2. teaching contrary to a given standard
a. abs. teaching contrary to truth
b. rel. teaching contrary to a given world view or paradigm
e.g. The religion of Abraham is heresy2b relative to the previous Canaanite religions.
Christianity is heresy2b relative to Judaism. Islam is heresy2b relative to Judaism and Christianity. |
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| humility | (n.) (subset of attitude3,4 ) (opposite: pride) 1. an emotion/opinion of one's own inferiority (justified or not)
Humility1 is an unavoidable side effect of the belief1 that you are doing poorly. 2. an attitude4 of subservience, generally expressed for the purpose of getting what you
want from people who probably wouldn't give it to you if they knew your real self opinion
3. restraint of arrogant self expression |
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| humility / pride | (n.) (subset of attitude3,4 ) a pair of opposite attitudes3,4 therefore generating emotions closely aligned with fear/courage |
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| hypothesis | (n.) (subset of fiction) (see ad hoc)
a proposition or thesis proposed as possibly true before it is tested (logically or empirically) enough to be called a theory |
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| idea | (n.) 1. a unit of thought 2. a universal1 or eternally real 1 object (Plato) 3. a synonym for the Absolute (Hegel) |
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| ideal | (adj.) 1. pertaining to ideas1 2. mental 3. sbj. axiologically best a. esthetically ideal: completely satisfying one's esthetic preferences
b. ethically ideal: the way reality should be |
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| idealism | (n.) (contrast to realism) a. the theory that perceived objects cannot be shown to exist outside the mind (ant. materialism1 )
two main types of idealism1a: objective idealism1a (usually pantheistic)
subjective idealism1a (usually many minds, one Supreme Mind)
b. the mind-body view that mind (soul, spirit) is all there is to humanness (opposite: materialism1b )
2. axiological idealism: any system or doctrine whose ultimate value or significance is to achieve ideal3 (ant. axiological realism) |
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| identical | p.b.c. (adj.) (syn. same) (contrast to similar)
1. ont. being the same thing 2. epis. appearing to be the same thing |
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| identify | (v.t.) to recognize something as what it is |
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| identity | (n.) what something is, as opposed to the fact of its existence |
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| ignorance | (n.)
not having data. as opposed to:
unintelligence: not being able to process data
inattention: having data, being able to process it, and failing to
stupidity: having data, processing it, and not acting accordingly |
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| imaginary | (adj.) (superset of fictitious) 1. existing in a mind (superset of possible) e.g. a memory of a real event
a speculated future event a. existing only in a mind
e.g. mermaid
counter example: Square circle is not even an imaginary concept because it cannot be imagined.
|
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| imagine | (v.)
to think creatively & speculatively |
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| immanent | (adj.) dwelling in or present with |
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| immutable | (adj.) 1. not changing (constant1,2 ) a. not changing within a finite time period
b. not changing within an indefinite time period
c. never changing
2. not able to changea. not able to change within a finite time period
b. not able to change within an indefinite time period
c. never able to change |
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| implicit | (adj.) 2. necessarily involved, though not plainly expressed (confused with inherent) |
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| imply | (v.t.) (contrast to infer) 1. logically imply: to have as a necessary part or consequence
e.g. (If A then B) means (A implies B).
a. to appear to logically imply something
2. to suggest or hint |
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| inattention | (n.)
having data, being able to process it, and failing to. as opposed to:
ignorance: not having data
unintelligence: not being able to process data
stupidity: having data, processing it, and not acting accordingly |
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| incomposite | (adj.) (opposite: composite) (contrast to simple) containing no parts
|
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| increment | (adj.) (opposite: decrement) 1. amount of increase
|
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| indeterminism | (n.) (opposite: determinism) the theory that the universe is constituted such that some events are not the inevitable consequence of antecedent causes |
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| induction | (n.) (subset of logic) (contrast to deduction) 1. reasoning to generalizations (sometimes universals1b2 ) from observing facts (particulars)
Sometimes called scientific or empirical1 logic
e.g. All observed examples of A are B. Therefore A is generally B.
Most observed examples of A are B. Therefore A is generally B. 2. reasoning to the next particular from observing past particulars
e.g. Most previous examples of A were B. Therefore the next example of A will probably be B. |
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| infer | (v.t.) (contrast to imply) 1. to recognize a logical implication
to reason from the known or assumed to a conclusion a. to think something logically implies something
2. to think someone is suggesting or hinting |
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| inference | (n.) 1. a thought, proposition or propositions inferred1
2. a thought, proposition or propositions inferred2 |
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| infinite | (adj.) THE MOST ABUSED CONCEPT IN PHILOSOPHY See essay. 1. abs. without limit in at least one dimension
a. actually infinite: infinite at any moment in time
e.g. the set of all whole numbers
b. potentially infinite: having a limit at any moment in time, but infinite if continued eternally
This concept cannot be shown to exist or not exist.
I prefer to reject it in favor of "unknown finitude". 2. rel. beyond human ability to measure or comprehend |
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| infinity | (n.) 1. abs. dimension without limit or boundaries
2. rel. dimension beyond human ability to measure or comprehend |
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| influence | (contrast to affect, cause, motivate, persuade) (n.) one of several factors which when combined motivates, persuades, or becomes a sufficient causal condition
(v.t.) to act as one of several factors which when combined motivates, persuades, or becomes a sufficient causal condition |
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| inherent | (adj.) (opposite: extrinsic1 ) (contrast to intrinsic) existing in something as an inseparable attribute (confused with implicit) |
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| instantiation | (n.) a particular example of a general concept or principle2 a particular value3 plugged into a variable3 |
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| interactionism | (n.) (subset of dualism3 )
(sibling set of parallelism, occasionalism, pre-established harmony) the mind-body view that brain & mind are non-predetermined separate realities that interact. One may exist temporarily without the other. |
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| interpret | (v.t.) (similar to judge) to identify: 2. the intended meaning of a verbal expression (regardless of its length)
Interpreting is an art (not science) because it includes intuition as well as logic. Interpretation2 has no affect on literal meaning. A statement which is literally a lie remains a literal lie regardless of the truth of the intended meaning, & v.v. |
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| intrinsic | (adj.)
(opposite: extrinsic2 , extraneous1 ) (contrast to inherent) being, coming, or acting from |
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