Pair of terms
A pair of terms consists of two terms that have a mutual meaning relationship. A mutual relationship of meaning exists if the determination of the meaning of one term requires knowledge of the meaning of the other term. From this it follows that the knowledge of the meaning of a pair of terms cannot be achieved gradually by first defining one term and then the second; for in this way circle definitions would appear. That is, the understanding of the meaning occurs for both terms of the pair of terms simultaneously or not at all. This applies to all pairs of terms such as small - large , light - difficult , true - false , left - right , up - down , female - male , clever - stupid , form - content , quantity - element , general - individual , society - individual , Parents - children , greater than - not greater than , something - nothing , inside - outside , etc.
Concept pairs are the simplest form of holistic concept systems . They can be classified in terms of their meaningful relationship and their application functions.
Relationships of meanings of pairs of terms
The negation
It is not uncommon for the meaning relationship to be given by a negation , whereby the meaning relationship can be of a contradictory or contrary nature through mutual negation . In the case of contradiction, the pair of terms is a contradictory opposition, such as the pair of terms something - nothing or greater than - not greater than .
If the meaning relationship consists of a mutually contrary negation, the pair of terms represents a contrary contrast , such as light - difficult , small - large , true - false , clever - stupid etc.
See also: dichotomy
The holistic relationship
The meaning relationship can also be a wholeness relationship in the complementary sense, so that the pair of terms describes or represents a wholeness. This applies e.g. B. for the pairs of terms form - content , female - male , parents - children , general - individual , quantity - element , society - individual . The wholes that are implied here by the pairs of terms mentioned and by which the mutual meaning relationship of the two terms of the pair of terms is determined can be named as follows:
An object is determined by its form and its content. The possibility of producing offspring is determined by the pair of terms male - female . A family consists of parents and children, whereby the corresponding singular forms can also occur. The totality of something general and the assigned individual is a knowledge. The totality of the set and the associated elements is the most general form of a space. The totality of society and individuals is - depending on the social theory, however - a community.
The mutual relationship of meaning is thus established through the reference to a wholeness, which only arises through the interaction of the two terms of the pair of terms.
The classification according to application functions
If the terms of term pairs are suitable to be applied several times to their object areas, then they can be distinguished as symmetrical and asymmetrical term pairs.
If you apply z. B. the pair of terms true - false multiple times on the object area of the statements, then statements can be formed like:
(A1) "It is true that the statement is true." Or
(A2) "It is wrong that the statement is wrong."
The statement (A1) is the double application of the predicate true , and this means that the truth value of the statement under consideration does not change.
The statement (A2) is the double application of the predicate false , and this leads to the fact that the truth value of the statement under consideration changes.
If the two terms in a pair of terms lead to different results when used twice, then the pair of terms is referred to as an asymmetrical pair of terms . The pair of terms true - false is asymmetrical. If the double application of the terms of a pair of terms leads to the same results, this pair of terms is called symmetrical . This applies e.g. B. for the pair of terms left - right ; because left from left remains left and right from right remains right. This is not only the case in politics, but also in traffic. The pair of terms left - right is thus a symmetrical pair of terms.
In addition to the multiple application of the pairs of terms to their object domain, the question can also be asked whether the terms of a pair of terms are of such a kind that they can both be applied to an object at the same time or whether this is not the case, so that the two terms on different objects are to be applied. If pairs of terms can be applied to an object, then they are called encompassing pairs , if they can only be applied to different objects, then these pairs of terms are called structuring pairs of terms . Comprehensive pairs of terms are, for example, form - content or inside - outside . Structural pairs of terms are, for example, ephemeral - imperishable , large - small , difficult - light , male - female , past - future , etc.
Historically significant term pairs
The first occurrence of term pairs can be found in ancient Greece with Anaximander (-610 to -545), a pupil of Thales von Milet (-624 to -544). According to the testimonies of Aristotle (-383 to -321) and Simplikios (approx. 500 to approx. 560), Anaximandros assumed “the origin of things ... as a result of a separation of opposites”, and opposites are “warm and cold, dry and moist ”and many more.
This needs to be explained considerably further here, for example for the pairs of terms master - slave , ruler - ruled , creator - creature , producer - created , general - individual , form - matter , real - potential , sacred - profane , translunar - sublunar , thesis - antithesis etc.
swell
- ↑ See Wilhelm Capelle (ed.), Die Vorsokratiker , Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart 1968, ISBN 3-520-11908-0 , pp. 84f.
literature
- Wilhelm Capelle (ed.), The pre-Socratics , Alfred Kröner Verlag, Stuttgart 1968, ISBN 3-520-11908-0 .
- W. Deppert, Hierarchical and holistic conceptual systems, in: G. Meggle (ed.), Analyomen 2 - Perspektiven der Analytischen Philosophie, Perspectives in Analytical Philosophy , Vol. 1. Logic, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science , De Gruyter, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-11-015253-3 , pp. 214-225.