Within No True
When Definitions Carry Hidden Judgment
A familiar praise word can keep its emotional appeal while its boundary quietly changes to favor one side.
On this page
- How praise words shift descriptive boundaries
- Freedom, democracy, and science as contested labels
- How to ask for the definition openly
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Introduction
Arguments do not always change people’s minds by presenting new facts. Sometimes they change the meaning of a valued word while keeping its positive emotional appeal intact. A speaker may redefine a term such as “freedom”, “democracy”, “science”, or “justice” so that it now favours a particular position, yet continue to rely on the respect and approval that the original word already carries. Philosophers call this a persuasive definition: a redefinition that alters a word’s descriptive boundaries while preserving its favourable or unfavourable emotional force. [stanford]plato.stanford.eduEncyclopedia of Philosophy FallaciesStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyFallacies - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyby H Hansen · 2015 · Cited by 427 — Two competing conce… Encyclopedia of Philosophy [OUP]academic.oup.comAcademic IV.—PERSUASIVE DEFINITIONS | MindOUP AcademicIV.—PERSUASIVE DEFINITIONS | Mind - Oxford Academicby CL STEVENSON · 1938 · Cited by 317 — CHARLES LESLIE STEVENSON; IV.—PERS…
Within the broader family of logical fallacies involving moving definitions, persuasive definitions matter because they can make an argument appear settled before the real disagreement has even begun. Instead of debating whether a position is good, the speaker builds the desired judgment directly into the definition itself. [Wikipedia]WikipediaPersuasive definitionPersuasive definition
How Praise Words Shift Descriptive Boundaries
The key mechanism is surprisingly simple. A word often has two components:
- A descriptive component: what kinds of things the word refers to.
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- An evaluative or emotional component: whether the word sounds admirable, respectable, shameful, dangerous, and so on. [stanford]plato.stanford.eduEncyclopedia of Philosophy FallaciesStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyFallacies - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyby H Hansen · 2015 · Cited by 427 — Two competing conce… Encyclopedia of Philosophy
[Persuasive definition]WikipediaPersuasive definition on changes the first component while preserving the second.
Charles Stevenson, whose work introduced the modern discussion of persuasive definitions, argued that many important social and moral words carry strong emotional associations. A speaker can therefore redirect those associations by altering what the word applies to. OUP Academic [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]plato.stanford.eduStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCharles Leslie Stevenson - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyby D Boisvert · 2011 · Cited by 7 — Pers…
Consider the structure:
- Original meaning: “A cultured person is widely read and familiar with the arts.”
- Redefined meaning: “A cultured person is someone with imaginative sensitivity.”
The positive feeling attached to “cultured” remains. What changes is who qualifies for the label. The audience is encouraged to transfer existing approval from the old meaning to the new one. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
This differs from an ordinary proposal to revise language. People can openly argue that a word should be used differently. The problem arises when the redefinition is presented as if it were already the obvious or accepted meaning, allowing the hidden value judgment to pass unnoticed. [PhilPapers]philpapers.orgPhil Papers Persuasive definitionAndrew Aberdeinby A Aberdein · 1998 · Cited by 27 — Charles Stevenson introduced the term 'persuasive definition' to describe a suspect f…
Why the Technique Feels Persuasive
Persuasive definitions work because many political and moral disputes involve words that already command loyalty. Few people want to oppose freedom, democracy, equality, science, or justice. If a speaker can redefine one of these terms to fit a preferred position, opposition becomes harder because critics appear to be opposing the value itself rather than questioning the definition. [Wikipedia]WikipediaPersuasive definitionPersuasive definition
The audience often hears two messages at once:
- An explicit descriptive claim about what the word means.
- An implicit evaluative claim that whatever fits the definition deserves approval.
Because the emotional approval arrives bundled with the definition, the argument can bypass careful examination. Researchers in argumentation theory describe persuasive definitions as combining classification claims with value judgments, allowing a definitional change to influence how people evaluate a situation. [University of Windsor Journal Publishing]ojs.uwindsor.caUniversity of Windsor Journal PublishingPersuasive Definitions: Values, Meanings and Implicit…by F Macagno · 2008 · Cited by 44 — Pers…
This is one reason persuasive definitions often appear near the boundary between rhetoric and fallacy. Not every persuasive definition is automatically illegitimate, but it becomes suspect when the definitional shift substitutes for evidence rather than supporting it. [ResearchGate]researchgate.netResearch Gate Deceptive Arguments Containing Persuasive LanguageResearchGateDeceptive Arguments Containing Persuasive Language…June 1, 2005 — Using persuasive definitions and persuasive language gen…
Freedom, Democracy, and Science as Contested Labels
Certain words are especially vulnerable because they are both emotionally powerful and conceptually contested. Philosophers and argumentation scholars frequently point to terms such as freedom, democracy, and science as examples. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
Freedom
A debate about economic regulation may turn into a dispute about freedom. One side may define freedom primarily as freedom from government interference. Another may define it as having the practical resources needed to act meaningfully in society.
Both sides retain the positive force of the word “freedom”. The disagreement concerns what conditions count as freedom in the first place. When one side quietly treats its preferred definition as the only legitimate one, the debate can become circular: the preferred policy is declared good because it promotes “freedom”, while freedom has already been defined to include the policy’s goals. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
Democracy
Political actors often compete over the label “democratic”. Instead of arguing directly about institutions, elections, participation, or rights, they may redefine democracy in a way that favours their preferred arrangements.
The positive reputation of democracy remains constant. What changes is the set of systems allowed to qualify. Once the definition shifts, the debate risks becoming a contest over labels rather than evidence about how institutions actually function. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
Science
The word “science” carries authority, credibility, and intellectual prestige. Competing groups sometimes attempt to expand or narrow the category in ways that support their position.
One argument may imply that only conclusions supporting a particular methodology count as “real science”. Another may redefine science so broadly that nearly any preferred claim can be included. In each case, the speaker benefits from the positive standing of science while simultaneously changing the criteria for membership. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
The pattern resembles No True Scotsman reasoning when inconvenient examples are excluded from the category after the fact. However, the focus here is not primarily on protecting a universal claim from counterexamples. It is on attaching approval or disapproval to a revised definition. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
When a Definition Becomes a Hidden Argument
A useful warning sign is that the definition itself appears to settle a disputed issue.
For example:
- “A patriot is anyone who supports this policy.”
- “A responsible citizen supports this reform.”
- “True science rejects these conclusions.”
- “Real democracy requires this institutional arrangement.”
These statements appear to define terms, but they also contain substantive judgments. The audience is invited to accept the judgment by accepting the definition. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
In effect, the speaker compresses an argument into a label. Instead of defending the claim that a policy is patriotic, responsible, scientific, or democratic, the desired conclusion is inserted into the meaning of the word itself. This is why persuasive definitions are often discussed alongside the definist fallacy and other fallacies of definition. [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
How to Ask for the Definition Openly
The most effective response is usually not to argue immediately about the conclusion. Instead, examine the definition.
Helpful questions include:
- What exactly does this word mean in this discussion?
- Is this definition widely accepted, or is it being proposed?
- What examples clearly fit the definition?
- What examples are excluded, and why?
- Does the definition already assume the conclusion under debate?
- Would someone who shares the value but disagrees on policy use the word differently?
These questions separate the emotional appeal of a term from the descriptive criteria being used. Once the definition is made explicit, the hidden value judgment becomes easier to evaluate on its own merits. [University of Windsor Journal Publishing]ojs.uwindsor.caUniversity of Windsor Journal PublishingPersuasive Definitions: Values, Meanings and Implicit…by F Macagno · 2008 · Cited by 44 — Pers…
The Core Insight
Persuasive definitions succeed by borrowing the reputation of a respected word while quietly changing what the word covers. The audience hears the familiar approval attached to terms such as freedom, democracy, or science and may not notice that the boundaries of the concept have shifted. The result is a subtle form of argumentative leverage: a value judgment is smuggled into a definition and then presented as if it were merely a matter of language. Recognising that move helps keep debates focused on the underlying issues rather than on emotionally charged labels. [stanford]plato.stanford.eduEncyclopedia of Philosophy FallaciesStanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyFallacies - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophyby H Hansen · 2015 · Cited by 427 — Two competing conce… Encyclopedia of Philosophy [Wikipedia]WikipediaCharles Stevenson (philosopherCharles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno…
Endnotes
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Title: Phil Papers Persuasive definition
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Andrew Aberdeinby A Aberdein · 1998 · Cited by 27 — Charles Stevenson introduced the term 'persuasive definition' to describe a suspect f...
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Title: Persuasive definition
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Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyCharles Leslie Stevenson - Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyApr 15, 2011 — The emotive meaning of a...
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Charles Stevenson | Encyclopedia MDPI29 Nov 2022 — In his papers "The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms" (1937) and "Persuasive Definition...
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Title: Research Gate Deceptive Arguments Containing Persuasive Language
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ResearchGateDeceptive Arguments Containing Persuasive Language...June 1, 2005 — Using persuasive definitions and persuasive language gen...
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That much can be agreed by all theorists. What is debated is rather what it...Read more...
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Charles Stevenson (philosopher)Charles Leslie Stevenson (June 27, 1908 – March 14, 1979) was an American analytic philosopher best kno...
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Linked bibliography for the SEP articleWorks by C. L. Stevenson Cited in This Article. 1937, “The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms,” repr...
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University of Windsor Journal PublishingPersuasive Definitions: Values, Meanings and Implicit...by F Macagno · 2008 · Cited by 44 — Pers...
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is a kind of error in reasoning. The list of fallacies below contains 231 names of the most common fallacies, and it provides brief expla...
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Additional References
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researcher.lifeIV.—PERSUASIVE DEFINITIONSThis paper examines the role of persuasive definitions in philosophical and rhetorical contexts...
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examples. Freedom rule - “Parties must not prevent each other from putting forward standpoints or casting doubt on...Read more...
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The Definist Fallacy: Winning 21st-Century Political Battles...The definist fallacy manipulates definitions to gain political leverage i...
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Title: fallacies from the dictionary 9eddfad76389
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From the Dictionary - Inquisitive Nok - MediumIt is invoked when one deliberately uses words and phrases with strong and often negative c...
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Informal Fallacies: 15 Common Examples of Faulty...31 May 2023 — Informal fallacies are errors in reasoning that depend on [context]({{ 'context/' | relative_url }}), not...
Published: May 2023
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Introduction to FallaciesA fallacy is an illogical step in the formulation of an argument. An argument in academic writing is essentially...
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Argumentation: The Copenhagen Schooldefinition of rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasi...
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Title: chapt4 EL am
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4: INFORMAL FALLACIES IHere is our definition: A logical fallacy is an argument that is usually psychologically persuasive but logically...
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LogicThose who support freedom and democracy do not support absolute freedom.... For those that are not arguments, label each as a descr...
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Title: Fallacy: Persuasive Definition
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldC_t4ULG2ISource snippet
Persuasive (Pseudo)Definitions - Logical Semiotics 12...
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