? Definition is the core content of eliminating communication misunderstanding and the basis of establishing rational thinking. In western logic and Buddhism, there is a special part to discuss "definition" and the method of defining it. Because this question is very important, let's briefly introduce the definition and the methods defined in logic and memetics.
? Before that, please clarify the meaning of "concept" in logic
? Concept: a form of thinking that reflects the essence of objective things, usually expressed in words. A word that expresses a concept is called a name.
? Concepts include connotation and extension. Connotation is the reflection of the overall essence of the description object. Extension is everything that fits this concept. For example, the connotation of "biology" is: life in nature; Then its extension includes all creatures such as pigs, dogs and horses in nature from ancient times to the present. Connotation is a generalization of the unique attributes of something in the concept; Extension is all the concrete individuals of this thing.
? Definition is a prescribed description of the basic attributes of a concept.
? Next, we will supplement the related contents defined in Ming and Logic:
? First, the knowledge about definition in Ming school.
? The definition of 1. event is divided into three elements: definition, defined event and referred object. In esoteric terms, it is the so-called "semantic body" (definition), "self" (defined event) and "individual" (specific reference).
? Among them,
(1) definition (semantic body) "definition" is: one of three qualities. "Three qualities" refers to:
Certainty is its essence: the essence defined by definition must be the essence of the defined object.
Must have its properties: the defined object must have the defined properties;
Uniqueness: the defined property is the unique property of the defined object.
? (2) Defined event (ego): It is an event with three meanings. "Three-phase righteousness" means:
It must be a definite event: the self must have definite characteristics.
Reference objects (individuals) have their prescribed phases: specific things have the characteristics expressed by definitions.
Just do this definition: the definition has fully expressed all the characteristics of this aspect, and if there are other characteristics, it is not this aspect.
? (3) The relationship among ontology, ego and individual is as follows (taking "human" as "thinking and talking creature" as an example):
? Semantic body, that is, "thinking and talking creatures", is a definition description;
Self, that is, the concept of "abstract person", is an abstract concept;
? Individuals, that is, "concrete Zhang Li San Si", are all concrete.
? In the expression of real life, we often can't distinguish between "self" and "individual", which leads to many misunderstandings. For example, Gong Sunlong's statement that "a white horse is not a horse" is considered nonsense. In fact, the "white horse" mentioned by Gong Sunlong is an individual, and the "horse" is the self. Concrete is not abstract. Another example is "What about China people"-here "China people" refers to the self (abstract concept); And you, me and him with China nationality are both individuals.
? 2. The method of defining things in Buddhism is often defined from three angles: "body and body are used together".
? Body-nature; Phase phenomenon; Use-that is, function.
? For example, the definition of "no anger" is: "It means that anger is the right treatment, and the nature is good and does not harm all beings." The essence of "no anger" is "compassion", which shows that it does not harm all beings and can be used to treat hatred.
? Similarly, we can use "body use" to define "writing brush": it is essentially a kind of stationery, and its shape is a bamboo tube with a taper in front; The ancients used it to write, and today it is used to write calligraphy works.
? Second, about the knowledge defined in logic.
? In logic, "definition" is divided into verbs (namely "definition") and nouns. "Definition" refers to the process of judging the exact meaning of an object; "Definition" is the expression of the exact boundary of cognitive object.
1, the logic divides the defined categories into:
? (1) Definition: For example, black hole, irrational number, π;
(2) Dictionary definition: the summary of various definitions in the dictionary and its dissemination to the public;
? (3) Precise definition: If "one meter" is defined as the length of light propagating in vacuum within the duration of "1/299792458 seconds";
? (4) Theoretical definition: For example, in order to discuss the meaning of "religion" more accurately, different definitions are made in different research systems;
? (5) Definition of persuasion: There is a definition of persuasion factors, such as defining Buddhism as "a religion founded by Sakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago, which has mastered the only truth and can free us".
? 2. Among the various methods of defining concepts, the most common and convenient one is the "Genus plus Species Difference Definition Method".
? Genus and species are a pair of relative terms. "Genus" refers to a subclass of something; And many subclasses are "species". For example, "fruit" can be divided into apples and pears. Apples and pears are both "genera" of fruits, and they are both different "species".
? "It is a kind of difference", we must first find the category to which this thing belongs, and at the same time find the difference from other categories. Putting the two together is the definition of "genus plus species difference"
? We use "genus plus species difference" to define the writing brush: it belongs to a kind of pen (genus), the pen holder is mostly bamboo, and the pen head is mostly composed of animal hair and is conical (different from other ballpoint pens).
? Third, the definition process should pay attention to things.
In the Ming theory, it is considered that the definition should avoid being too wide, inappropriate and inconsistent. For example, for a writing brush, the definition of "a pen" is too broad; "Cut the goose feather tube to a certain angle and stick ink to write" is an inappropriate definition; The definition of "only bamboo poles and wolfsbane" is unclear. Yi San Xiang avoids these three definitions respectively.
? The statement in "Logic" is basically similar, but more comprehensive, and it is considered that:
? (1) defines the essential attributes of the species to be revealed; (2) The definition cannot be circular; (3) The definition should not be too wide or too narrow; (4) The definition cannot be expressed in obscure, ambiguous or figurative language; (5) When a positive definition can be used, try to avoid using a negative definition.
Both Buddhism and logic attach great importance to basic concepts, definitions and names. Because this is the foundation of all communication and the cornerstone of all theories. If the concept is vague, the definition is confusing, and the understanding of the connotation of the name is different, then there is no way to really communicate and debate. Regrettably, most of our daily communication, debate and even preaching are different, and we have made serious mistakes and failed to form truly effective and accurate communication.