PREDICABLES, PREDICAMENTS,

AND DEFINITION OF

TERMS

PREDICAMENTSUniversal concepts can be deemed both according

to their content (predicaments), & according to the nature & way in which they can be applied to the objects that fall under them (predicables).

Refer to set of fundamental ideas in terms of whichall other ideas can be expressed.

They are concepts capable of classifying all other concepts; they are the basic manners of being to which all reality can be reduced.

Aristotle called them as “categories” % enumerated 10 of them.

PREDICAMENTSExample: WILLIAM

- He is a man (substance);- He is intelligent (quality);- He is 5’6 (quantity);- He is the brother of Wiley (relation);- He is in the library (where);

- He is sitting while studying (posture); - He is in school uniform (habit); - He came in at 2 P.M. in the afternoon (when); - He is memorizing the UST Hymn (action);

and, - He is greatly pressured (passion).

A. SUBSTANCE (1) It is that which has its existence not in

another, but in & for itself. It has a meaning & value in itself. Hence, in contrast to the accidents, it can be defined without reference to a subject.

Example:plant dog manchair table tree

B. ACCIDENT (9) It refers to everything added to a substance

as a further determination. There are 9 accidents.

1. Quantity – the modification of a substance as regards the effect of having extension & divisibility.- 50 kgs. 25 ft. long-200 pesos 200 sq. m.

2. Quality – formal determination of a substance which may be a habit, disposition, capacity, or the form & figure of a things.- wise cold form of a statue- blue hard figure of a woman

3. Relation – the manner in which substances refer to each other.- mother brother- leader wife

4. Action – production of an effect.- running swimming- eating dancing

5. Passion – reception of an effect from another.- being robbed are burned- was stubbed being neglected

6. When (Time) – situation in time.- at 9 p.m. today yesterday- at present last time next semester

7. Where (Place) – position of the substance in space.- here at home- in the hotel Bulacan

8. Posture – determination of the substance as to the disposition of its parts.

- lying sitting- slanting standing

9. Habit – determination of the substance as to the external appearance or outfit. Strictly speaking, only humans are capable of having a habit.- clothed in red suit- covered with lace- in green gown

PREDICABLESRefer to the kinds of relations which may be

obtained between a term & the subject of which it is predicated. There are 5 predicables:

1. Genus – a universal idea which expresses a part of the essence of a thing, that part which is common with other species in the same class. It answers the question:“What is it?”- Man is an animal.- A pentagon is a polygon.

2. Specific Difference – a universal idea which expresses a part of the essence of a thing, that part which differentiates it from that of other species. It answers the question: “What differentiates this specie from other?”- Man is rational.- A pentagon is five-sided.

3. Species – a universal idea that expresses the complete essence of a thing.- Man is a rational animal.- A pentagon is a five-sided polygon.

4. Property – a universal idea that expresses an attribute that belongs to the thing by natural necessity. It is not part of a thing’s essence, yet it belongs to that thing & tom it alone all the time. Albeit it is not essential to the thing, it still belongs to it necessarily.- Man is capable of learning grammar & of morality.- Triangle has angles that add up to 180º.

5. Logical Accident – a universal idea that is not a part of a thing’s essence, but something that belongs to the thing, not by natural necessity, but by contingency.- Totoy is tall, dark, & handsome.- The cellphone is 3210.

1. Burdened: ________2. 500 pesos/hour:________3. The lady was murdered by an unknown

criminal:________4. Birds are winged creatures.

a. Genusb. Specific Differencec. Speciesd. Propertye. Accident

5. Hope is a cardinal virtue.

DEFINITION OF TERMSThe term definition is derived from the Latin

word de-fenire which means to “state the limits of” or to “enclose within limit.”

In logic, it means the explanation of a term based on its content or use. Moreover, it is the verbal manifestation of the meaning/comprehension of an idea.

The term to be defined is called definiendum, while the defining term is called definiens.

Ex: Man is a rational animal.Definiendum – manDefiniens - rational animal

PURPOSE OF DEFINITION1. To increase one’s vocabulary.

- clarification & clarity2. To minimize or eliminate ambiguity.

- different contexts (Free children below seven.)- equivocal terms.

3. To set a theoretical framework.- to establish a perspective- technical definition of terms (thesis)

4. To influence attitudes.- unity/belongingness- hegemony/imperialism

TYPES OF DEFINITION1. Nominal Definition

- It expresses what the name means, not what the thing is. It circumscribes the precise meaning of a given word without going into its real nature.- It is required when a new term is introduced into the vocabulary or of one wants to clarify the meaning of an ambiguous term.

Ex: Salvage and Religion

2. Real Definition- It tell us what the things is. It digs deeper into the nature of a thing which we somehow have a vague knowledge. - While nominal definition allows us to identify the term under consideration, real definition clarifies the question regarding its nature.- It is subdivided into two: Essential & non-essential.

1.1 Ostensive Definition- Comes from the Latin word “ostendere”

which means “to point” or “to show.”- It indicates the meaning of a term by

demonstrating at the object. It is used when the term is difficult to define verbally.

- One may define a wallet or a ballpen by showing it.

- One may define the dance waltz by performing it.

Ex: What is an asterisk?What is a dollar?

*Showing a person’s picture

What is a horse?

1.2 Synonymous Definition- It gives the same connotation of the term,

in such a manner that it can replace the term without shift in meaning.

Ex: “Contraband” – Smuggling“Sobriquet” – Nickname“Agua” - Water

1.3Etymological Definition- It gives the word’s origin.

Example: - Biology (“bios,” life; “logos,” study)

means the study of life.- Philosophy (“philo”, love; “sophia,”

wisdom) means love of wisdom.- Polygamy (“poly,” many; “gamos,”

marriage) means many marriages.- Centipede (“centum,” hundred; “pedis,”

foot) is an arthropod with a hundred feet.

1. Synonymous: Cordial?2. Synonymous: Congenital?3. Etymological: Polygyny?4. Synonymous: Repugnant?5. Synonymous: Ephemeral?

2.1 Essential Definition- It is a definition constructed by genus &

specific difference.Ex: Hexagon is a polygon with 6 sides.

2.2 Non-Essential Definition- Gives the more notable attributes of a

thing

2.2.1 Distinctive Definition (definition by property)

- It gives the natural attributes of a thing that follows necessarily from its essence (property).

Ex: Man is capable of inventing things. Oxygen is a gas 1.105 times as heavy

as air.

2.2.2 Causal Definition2.2.2.1 Genetic Definition- It furnishes the mode of the origin of a

thing. It describes how something is produced.

- It is not similar to etymological definition. Ex: Earthquake is the trembling of the land

surface due to the faulting of the rocks.Sneeze is a sudden involuntary expulsion of air from the nose & mouth caused by irritation of the nostrils.

2.2.2.2 Efficient Cause Definition- It gives the producer of the thing.Ex: Fallopian tube is named after the Italian

Gabrielle FallopiusCaesar salad is invented by a Mexican chef Caesar Cardini (not Julius Cesar)Anti-Christ is written by Friedrich Nietzsche.

2.2.2.3 Final Cause Definition- It gives the purpose or end on account of

which a thing is produced.Ex: Oratory is a chapel for private devotion.

Chair is a thing used for sitting.

2.2.3. Accidental Definition- It explains a thing by giving attributes that

are contingently connected with it.Ex: The school uniform is like a table cloth.

The car speed is 120kph.

1. A triangle has interior angles equal to 2 right angles.

2. Angels and Demons is written by Dan Brown

3.Tsunami is a long high sea wave caused by underwater earthquake

4. The building is skyscraping.5. Magnet is a piece of iron which

attracts/repels iron.6. Braille is coined by Louis Braille, who

is blind himself.7. The bag looks very expensive.8. Circle is formed by revolving a line in

plane reaching one of its ends.

RULES OF A GOOD DEFINITION1. A definition should avoid

ambiguity.- Highly theoretical definition &

figurative language must be avoided.

Ex: Net is the reticulated fabric decussated at regular intervals with interstices & intersections.Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.Blush???

Blush is a temporary erythema and calorofic effulgence of the physiognomy, aetiotized by the perceptiveness of the sensorium, in a predicament of inequilibrity from a sense of shame, anger or other cause, eventuating in a paresis of the vaso-motorial, muscular filaments of the facial capillaries, whereby, being divested of their elasticity, they become suffused with a radiance emanating from an intimidated praecordia.

- It could have been defined simply as the “reddening of the face due to the shame, anger, & other cause of similar mature.

2. Definition should not be circular.- It should not use the given term as part of

the definition.Ex: A shopkeeper is a keeper of shop.

A painter is anyone who paints.

3. Definition should not be needlessly negative.

- It must state what a thing is, & not what the things is not.

Ex: Heaven is not hell.An adolescent is neither a child nor an adult.*Darkness is the absence of light.

4. Definition must be precise (not too broad or narrow)

Ex: Bachelor refers to unmarried males.Knife is an instrument for cutting.A woman is a married mother.