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Re: [ontolog-forum] language vs logic - ambiguity andstartingwithdefinit

To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: Alex Shkotin <alex.shkotin@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2010 18:48:44 +0400
Message-id: <AANLkTikHuJcafOU1mM+2NPK_4FYqRfY9fOR0pPfQmEUu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
John,

thank you.

Alex

2010/9/18 John F. Sowa <sowa@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Ferenc and Alex,

The URL pointed to the entire philosophy department at SFU.

AS> is it possible to get a source of your citations?

See http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/definitions.htm

NS> When we use the name of a term in accordance with the
 > just-reported convention we are said to be mentioning the term.

FK> My comment: (The distinction between use and mention is not
 > clear to me. To mention means to use it in speech or in writing)

Norman Swartz's article has examples to clarify that distinction:

1. Science begins with curiosity.
2. Science begins with the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet.
3. 'Science' begins with the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet.

Sentence #1 uses the word 'science' to make a statement about the
field of study and research, which many people would agree with.

Sentence #2, as Swartz said, is literally nonsense, because it seems
to say that the field of science begins with a letter of the alphabet.

Sentence #3, with the extra quotes, clarifies the point by showing
that the word 'science' is being *mentioned* as a word, but it is
not being *used* to refer to the field.

If you need more examples, see the Wikipedia:

   1. Cheese is derived from milk.
   2. Cheese is derived from a word in Old English.

Guess which sentence is using the word 'cheese' and which is
only mentioning it.  For further discussion, see

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use%E2%80%93mention_distinction

AS> But if you just need definition of definition why not use
 > definition 2.a from
 > http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/definition

That's a good question, which Swartz answers in Section 5.2,
which talks about 'lexical definitions', as found in a
typical dictionary:

   http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/definitions.htm#part5.2

The entire article covers important issues about methods of
definition that have been discussed on Ontolog Forum.  Swartz
also has other relevant articles and books.  See

   http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/swartz/contents.htm

And by the way, Norman Swartz has been a professor emeritus
since 1998.  Universities don't keep such things on their
web sites forever.  You might download them now.

John

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