Characterisations

Abstract

By the word “characterisation” I mean, as previously explained (section A 2 (3)–(4) above), propositions that are neither definitions nor analytically un/true; that is to say, propositions which do not contribute to determining the meanings of linguistic entities (do not contribute to determining concepts), but which presuppose this topic (in contrast to definitions, which thematise it), and say something beyond what lies in the concept criteria (in contrast to analytically un/true propositions). What is said beyond the concept criteria may be about non/existence of phenomena that satisfy the concept criteria, or about (presupposedly existing) phenomena’s properties beyond the concept criteria. And independently of this, characterisations can have descriptive, normative, or fused descriptive and normative modality.