Language Meaning and Definition Chapter 2 Functions To

Language: Meaning and Definition Chapter 2

Functions • To convey information • To express or evoke emotions

• The death penalty is legal in Pakistan. Since 2008, only 38 terrorists have been executed. (Information is being conveyed) • The death penalty is a cruel and inhuman form of punishment in which hapless prisoners are dragged from their cells and summarily executed. (Emotions are being aroused)

• Terminology that conveys information is said to have ‘Cognitive meaning’. • Terminology that evokes or expresses emotions is said to have ‘Emotive meaning’. • Emotive statement bears both aspects i-e info and emotion

• Value Claim: claim that something is good or bad • People tend to swallow the value claim whole without any evidence • That’s why emotive terminology is used for advertisement. (Lunesta for insomnia, ablify for depression)

Problems with Emotive • 1. paralyzes the logic (due to connotation of words) • 2. Ambiguity • 3. Vagueness

Vague Argument • In which it is impossible to tell if the expression applies or does not apply • Words such as ‘love’, ‘happiness’, ‘peace’, etc • Theory of relativity • Perceptions • Poverty • Brown among whites is considered white

Ambiguous argument • • • Different interpretations E. g. light, proper, critical, etc Bear is light Proper action Ruko matt janay do

• Vague terminology offers range of interpretations whereas Ambiguous provides and altogether different perception. • Both are important in logic for the purpose of evaluation of arguments. • Feminist-> leering glances -> sexual harassment • Flirtation • ‘Abida abuses her kids’ vs ‘kids need discipline’.

INTENTION and EXTENSION

• Basic unit of language are ‘words’ • Term is any word or arrangement of words that may describe a phenomena. • 1. Proper names (Imran Khan, Senate) • 2. Common names (animal, house) • 3. Descriptive phrases (author of hamlet, first PM of Pakistan).

Language Cognitive Emotive Extensional Intentional Denotes Connotes

• Intentional: qualities or attributes that the term connotes; features. • Extensional: class or group which it denotes. Intension Extension Thomas Edison Alexander Graham Bell Marconni Wright Brothers “Inventor” Denotes Con not es Clever Intuitive Creative Imaginative

• Connotation remains more or less the same for people as it refers to some group • Denotation also remains the same but it may vary over a period of time.

Definitions; purposes • Group of words that assign a meaning to particular word or term. Definition Definiedum Definiens Which term is to be defined Words that do the defining

Types of definition • 1. Stipulative Definition: defining a word for the first time. Tora! Black Water • 2. Lexical Definition: reporting of an already existing word. Dictionary definitions. (lessen ambiguity. ‘Light’, ‘Bank’) • Precising Definition: reduce vagueness. (poor) in mathematics and science precision is upheld (force, energy, acid).

• 4. Theoretical: assigns meaning to a word by suggesting theory which gives certain characterization to the entities that the term denotes. • Heat: energy associated with random motion of the molecules of a substance. • Way of conceiving the physical phenomena that is ‘heat’.

• 5. Persuasive : to get a favorable attitude towards something. Assign emotive element. • Capitalism: individuals enjoy the freedom of private business and property ownership. • Capitalism as per Karl Marx: suppression of the poor; unjustified division of wealth