Critical Thinking Slide 2

CRITICAL THINKING &PRACTICAL REASONING

Session 2 – DEFINITIONS ( PART 1)

Session Overview
•Contrary to what many students might suppose before their exposure to this course, there are different types of definition. The type of definition found in the dictionary which is also the one with which students are familiar, is just one of the six definitions that will be discussed. In this session, a distinction will be made between connotation and denotation of a word, after which the lexical, ostensive, operational and theoretical definitions will be discussed.
•Goals and Objectives:
at the end the session, student will
1.Understand when the connotation or denotation of a word is implied in a definition
2.Be able to tell the differences and relationship that exist between the connotation and denotation of a word.
3.Be able to write good examples of connotation and denotation of a word.

Session OutlineThe key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:
•Topic One: DEFINITIONS
sub topic: connotation and denotation
•Topic Three: THE TWO PARTS OF A STANDARD DEFINITION
•Topic Four: TYPES OF DEFINITIONS:
(a) lexical definition
(b) Ostensive definition
(c) Operational definition
(d) theoretical definition
(e) stipulative definition. session 3(part2)
(f) real definition. session3 (part2)

Topic One
DEFINITIONS

What is DEFINITION
•Definition is a declarative sentences that conveys or present the meaning of a word.
•Examples:
1. Even number is any number that is divisible by two without a remainder.
2. Culture is the way of life of people; their norms, values, music, and beliefs that are transmitted from one generation to the other.
3. Bank is a place where moneys are kept or borrowed

Sub Topic
CONNOTATION AND DENOTATION

•In conveying the meaning of a word, there are two ways that we can do that. We can either convey the meaning of a word by CONNOTATION or DENOTATION.
•CONNOTATION:- This is when the meaning of a word gives a description of the features or attributes or properties of range of objects in the world to which the word may be applied.
•Examples. ( head, mobile phone, )
1.Head is the upper part of a human body or an animal’s body that contains the brain and the face.
2. Mobile phone is an electronic device for receiving and making calls.
•NB. This is what it means to define a word by CONNOTATION.
•DENOTATION:- This refers to the collection of all the things in the world that are correctly picked out by a word’s connotation. It refers to the definition that coveys the meaning of a word by giving examples.

•Examples:
•The meaning of mobile phone for example are Samsung phone, Nokia lumia phone, Motorola phone, LG Phone.
•The meaning of even number for example are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, .
•NB. This is what it means to define a word by DENOTATION.

•However the relationship that exist between the connotation and the denotation is that, given the connotation of word, we can identify or determine it’s denotation.
•For instance;
If the word ‘Head’ is defined as “the upper part of the human body or an animal’s body that contains the brain and the face”, then its denotations will be the head of every human being on earth as well as that of an animal.

•But the same word ‘Head’ can also be defined as referring to “someone who is in charge of an operation or institution.” In this instance the denotations will be all persons that are in charge of specific operations or particular institutions.
•Thus depending on the connotation of a word will we be able to determine a the denotations.
•NB. IF a word has several connotations, each connotation will have their respective denotations.

Topic Two
THE TWO PARTS OF A STANDARD DEFINITION.

The parts of a DEFINITION.
Every standard definition must have two parts. The definiendum and the definiens.
 
•DEFINIENDUM:- The word to be defined which is the subject of the definition(statement)
Example:
1 Even number is any number that is divisible by two without a remainder.
2.Triangle is a plane figure with three side and has all the interior angles summing up to 180 degrees.

DEFINIENS:- The rest of the definition that conveys the meaning of the word( definiendum). It gives the word’s connotation.
•Example:
1. Even number is any number that is divisible by two without a remainder.
2.Triangle is a plane figure with three side and has all the interior angles summing up to 180 degrees.
3. Widow is a woman whose husband is dead.

Topic Three
TYPES OF DEFINITION

The types of DEFINITION
•When we talk about the “types of definition” we mean the different sources of and methods for creating or deriving definitions or meaning of words. In this course we will be discussing only six different types of definition. However in this session we will be looking at only four of the six types of definition.
•The Six Types Are As Follows.

1.  LEXICAL DEFINITION
2.  OSTENSIVE DEFINITION
3.  OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
4.  THEORETICAL DEFINITION
5.  STIPULATIVE DEFINITION session3(part2)*
6.  REAL DEFINITION session3(part2)*

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