Abstract
This chapter begins with a general approach of the notion of definition and gives some criteria which are useful to characterize them. There are no formal definitions in pre-Qin texts, but there is a clear intention to define notions and classical texts often present them in a form which obeys many of the criteria of a good definition. Such attempts at defining notions are present in the Mengzi, Xunzi and even Confucius’ Analects. They appear in a very elaborate form in two of Hui Shi’s theses, which are analyzed here in detail. They form a system in one of the texts attributed to Gongsun Long, but it is in the Mohist Canons that they constitute a remarkably organized system of interdependent definitions. A liberal notion of definition covers also the omnipresent use of numerical expressions, of honorifics and even the rhyme-prosed poems called fu.
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Notes
- 1.
Referring to Searle’s idea of the construction of the social world, Confucius’ short answer is obviously based on a constitutive rule “making institutional facts through status-function declarations”: “X counts as Y in context C, if such and such conditions are satisfied,” “X counts as a prince (or a minister, or a father, or a son) in the context of the Zhou institutions if and only if such and such conditions are satisfied.” On this account a better translation of his answer would be: “Let the prince be [or act as] a prince, the minister be [or act as] a minister, the father be [or act as] a father and the son be [or act as] a son.” See for example [Searle 2010:10]. I thank the editor of this volume for calling my attention on this important connection and for the suggested translation, see his “Confucius and Xunzi’s Ideas of Naming.” In [Fung 2017]
- 2.
See also the example of Zi Lu’s question hereabove. It is clear that the point of the definition is to give an explanation of how gentlemen behave and implicitly to make the recommendation to behave in the way described.
- 3.
I follow here the ways of referring and translation of [Graham 1978]; the definitions are 76 in number if you count yi 宜, part of A47, as being a lost definition.
- 4.
智 instead of 知, according to Graham’s comment in [Graham 1978: 77].
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Lucas, T. (2020). Definitions in Pre-Qin Texts. In: Fung, Ym. (eds) Dao Companion to Chinese Philosophy of Logic. Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29033-7_14
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