>
>The problem is that in some areas (mathematics especially) one may have
>a collection of axioms which
>taken together specify the "definitions" of several "concepts",
> but are difficult to disentangle. (01)
Quick comment: not mathematics *especially*. This situation is almost
universal. For example, suppose you try to define 'mountain', you
will probably use notions like 'rock' and 'height' and so on, all of
which have 'definitions' which involve other concepts which have
'definitions' , etc. etc.. The result is more like a single connected
web of axioms with clusters in some places, than a neat set of
isolated definitions. Dictionary writers face this issue every day,
and try to avoid ludicrously short definitional loops, but they know
they cannot avoid all loops. (02)
Pat (03)
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