CBSE Book Class 11 Philosophy Terms

Terms

What is a Term?

A term is a word or group of words which is either a subject or a predicate of a proposition. If a word or

a group of words is neither a subject nor a predicate of a proposition, then it is not a term. In the

proposition, "All logicians are mathematicians", 'logicians' and 'mathematicians' are terms but 'all'

and 'are' are not terms. For they can neither be subject nor predicate of the proposition. Thus, whereas

all terms are words, all words are not terms. This is because all terms are classes for the traditional

thinkers.

A term is a word or group of words which has the following characteristics:

i. it is either a subject or a predicate of a proposition, and

ii. it must have a definite meaning of its own.

The word 'term' comes from the Latin word terminus, a limit or boundary. Terms limit the movement of the thought. Proposition is a unit of reasoning and terms are its constituents. In each categorical proposition (A, E, I, O) there are two terms, a subject and a predicate.

Two important aspects of a term are:

1. Denotation and Connotation

2. Distribution

Denotation and Connotation

The aim of logicians is to differentiate good reasoning from bad, and since arguments are expressed through language, our use of language should be correct. The wrong use of language while making reasoning will make it only fallacious. In order that our reasoning remains straight and correct the meaning of the terms used in the reasoning should also be absolutely clear. The terms whose meaning is not clear or is partially known must not be used in the arguments. The logicians have suggested two different techniques, viz., denotation and connotation for knowing the meanings of terms.

Denotation of a term consists of the thing or object to which it applies and its connotation consists of the attributes which it implies. So a term denotes class membership and it connotes essential attributes. The term 'man' denotes all human beings to which it is applicable, that is, Ram, Sohan, Sita, Meera and in fact all of us. Rationality and mortality are essential attributes possessed by all men. Nothing can be called a man, if it does not possess these two characteristics and anything possessing these two characteristics must be called a man.

A term in a categorical proposition represents a class. A class is a collection of all objects that have some specified characteristics in common. The meaning of a class (i.e., a term) can be known in two ways. Firstly, by the members belonging to that particular class; and secondly, by knowing all the essential qualities possessed by the members of that class. For example, in the class of 'man' we refer to all 'human beings' as members, and 'rationality' and 'mortality' as the essential characteristics possessed by them.

Please refer to the link below - CBSE Class 11 Philosophy Terms