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I observed that "by definition" is on its way to becoming one of these emphasis phrases, like "literally", no longer literally meaning what they used to.
by bonoboTP 7y ago
I observed that "by definition" is on its way to becoming one of these emphasis phrases, like "literally", no longer literally meaning what they used to.
- eru 7y agoYes. Though even in its literal meaning 'by definition' is a weaker statement than 'by evidence'. At least in any argument outside of mathematics. Most of the time the 'by definition' argument just gives you a True Scotsmen. Take the classic: all men are mortal (by definition in Ancient Greek), Socrates is a men, thus Socrates is mortal. As an empiric argument, this would make sense. But the Greeks tried to reach 100% certainty. Mortality was included in their definition of a human (otherwise you'd be at least a semi-God or so.) Of course, that just shifts the uncertainty to the second part: we can not be sure that Socrates is indeed human by that definition, until he actually keels over.