{"id":4864,"date":"2021-10-19T14:01:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-19T12:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/?p=4864"},"modified":"2025-04-01T11:40:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T09:40:25","slug":"definition-iv-persuasive-definition-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/definition-iv-persuasive-definition-e\/","title":{"rendered":"Definition (4): Persuasive Definition"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00ab\u00a0PERSUASIVE DEFINITION\u00a0\u00bb<\/span><\/h1>\n

Stevenson ([1938]) introduced the concept of persuasive definition in the following terms:<\/span><\/p>\n

In any \u201cpersuasive definition\u201d the term defined is a familiar one, whose meaning is both descriptive and strongly emotive. The purport of the definition is to alter the descriptive meaning of the term, usually by giving it greater precision within the boundaries of its customary vagueness; but the definition does not make any substantial change in the term’s emotive meaning. And the definition is used, consciously or unconsciously, in an effort to secure, by this interplay between emotive and descriptive meaning, a redirection of people’s attitudes. (Stevenson [1938], p. 210-211)<\/span><\/p>\n

For a definition to be persuasive, in Stevenson’s sense, its descriptive content must be redefined, while its \u00ab\u00a0emotional force\u00a0\u00bb must remain intact, so that it can be applied to the redefined content. Stevenson gives the following example; A and B<\/strong> are \u201cdiscussing a mutual friend\u201d\u00a0 – let’s call him Z (id<\/em>, p. 211.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 A<\/strong> points out a number of deficiencies in person Z<\/strong> (education, conversation, literary references, subtlety of mind) and concludes that \u201che is definitely lacking in culture<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 B<\/strong> describes Z<\/strong> in a number of positive terms (imagination, sensitivity, originality<\/em>) and concludes that \u201che is a man of far deeper culture than many of us who have had superior advantages in education<\/em>\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, both\u00a0A<\/strong> and B value culture, and are willing to give the word culture<\/em> and the judgment \u201cZ is a cultured person\u201d a positive emotional orientation. Moreover, the word culture<\/em> has a vague descriptive sense; B carves out a new definition from this descriptive sense, and shows that it fits their mutual friend Z. Stevenson analyzes B’s argumentative move as follows<\/span><\/p>\n

His purpose was to redirect A<\/strong>‘s attitudes, feeling that\u00a0A<\/strong> was insufficiently appreciative of their friend’s merits (id<\/em>., p. 211).<\/span><\/p>\n

The argumentative trick \u2013 according to Stevenson \u2013 is at point (b):<\/span><\/p>\n

(a) B<\/strong> wants to value Z.<\/span>
\n(b) He redefines culture \u201cwithin the boundaries of its customary vagueness\u201d according to the qualities his friend possesses;<\/span>
\n(c) and he concludes that his friend is cultured;<\/span>
\n(d) and the friend benefits from the positive opinion associated with the idea of culture and the cultured person.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, a persuasive definition redefines the descriptive content of a term not on the basis of context-free, objective general considerations, but with a view to applying that term to a predetermined person, a known singular case. This would make it misleading. <\/span><\/p>\n

Point (d) implies that the argumentative orientation (here called\u00a0 \u201cthe emotive content\u201d) is independent of the cognitive content, and not affected by the redefinition. Thus, this orientation must be attached directly to the signifier.<\/span><\/p>\n

A persuasive definition is a definition that does not meet the condition of separability<\/em> between, on the one hand, the construction process of the definition, and, on the other hand, the use of the definitional features to include an individual or a special case in the category it determines and to call him by the name corresponding to this category. In other words, a persuasive definition is an ad hoc<\/em> definition.<\/span><\/p>\n

But was this definition dreamed up by B<\/strong> in order to save their friend Z<\/strong> from the very negative assessment he is receiving from his other \u201cfriend\u201d A<\/strong>? <\/span>
\nRather, this definition seems to be a step in the evolution of the notion of culture, which will lead to the multiple definitions of the word in the dictionary by 2025, where the traditional definition will take second place see Merriam-Webster, Culture<\/em>. <\/span>
\nThis exchange is merely a moment of confrontation between two definitions that will end up side by side <\/span><\/p>\n

A perfect argumentative situation<\/span><\/h2>\n

It could be argued that A<\/strong>, in order to categorize Z<\/strong>, uses the traditional definition of culture as literary references, etc., also carved out of the vague meaning of \u00ab\u00a0culture\u00a0\u00bb, \u00ab\u00a0within the limits of its customary vagueness\u00a0\u00bb. Because of its traditional prestige, this definition of \u00ab\u00a0culture\u00a0\u00bb , is considered true and self-evident, and the common friend is excluded from the circle of the cultivated \/ cultured people.
\nSo A uses the traditional definition of culture to exclude Z<\/strong> from the cultured category, just as B<\/strong> uses a renovated definition to include Z<\/strong> in that category.
\nIn short, we have a perfect stasis of definition that has created an argumentative situation in which A<\/strong> tries to influence B<\/strong> as much as B<\/strong> tries to influence A<\/strong> in their mutual visions of their friend B<\/strong>.
\nIt should be noted, however, that the narrator, Stevenson, attributes a convincing definition only to B<\/strong>. A<\/strong> is the only partner who does not try to persuade, but simply tells the truth.This is a typical maneuver by an ally of A<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A parallel case could be imagined about the criteria of what constitutes \u201cgood schoolwork\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The teacher’s definition<\/strong>: The value of a schoolwork is determined by its content (knowledge-based assessment)<\/span>
\nParent’s education-based definition<\/strong>: A good schoolwork is one in which students are engaged and working hard. My son spent his weekend working on his history class. He turned in an excellent paper, and deserves a good grade. (educationnally-based evaluation)<\/span><\/p>\n

The parent’s definition could be considered biased just like B<\/strong>‘s definition of culture was in the previous case. The category \u201cis a good school assignment\u201d has been redefined to apply to Mr. Doe’s son, without regard to the content of the paper, which has traditionally been considered as the deciding factor. The target has been redesigned to fit the arrow, and the archer’s limited skills. Or not. <\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly the parent also has a good educational case. Some negotiation is needed, as it was in the previous case.<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00ab\u00a0PERSUASIVE DEFINITION\u00a0\u00bb Stevenson ([1938]) introduced the concept of persuasive definition in the following terms: In any \u201cpersuasive definition\u201d the term defined is a familiar one, whose meaning is both descriptive and strongly emotive. The purport of the definition is to alter the descriptive meaning of the term, usually by giving it greater precision within the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4864"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13910,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4864\/revisions\/13910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}