SIMPLE APPREHENSION

Formation of Idea or Concept

• 1. Perception – the process by which we make
use of our material sense organ (sense of
sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch) to form
a sense perception in our brain center.

Product: Phantasm – the formed object of the

memory and imagination
 Formation of Idea or Concept
• 2. Abstraction – the mental process by which we
draw or grasp the universal and essential
characteristics

• Product: Idea or Concept – the intellectual

representation of things of the same kind

• Term- sensible, conventional sign, expressive of

an idea
 Properties of a Term
• Comprehension – sum total of all elements
expressive of an idea (also called implication or
connotation)

• Extension – sum total of all individuals and group of

classes to which an idea can be applied (denotation)

• *the greater comprehension, the lesser extension

• *the lesser comprehension, the greater extension
 Comprehension and Extension
Comprehension Extension
Rational, sentient, living, material substance Man
Sentient, living, material substance Animals, Man
Living, material substance Plants, Animals, Man
Material substance Minerals, Plants, Animals, Man
Substance Spirits, Minerals, Plants, Animals, Man

Dominican, Catholic, Private University UST

Catholic, Private university UST, La Salle, Ateneo, etc.
Private University UST, La Salle, Ateneo, Siliman, etc.
University UST, La Salle, Ateneo, Siliman, UP, etc.
 Classification of Terms
• 1. According to Extension
1.1. SINGULAR – when applied to one single object or
subject
1.1.1 Proper Noun – Maria Clara, Ana Hulaton
1.1.2 Superlatives – First Place, most beautiful
1.1.3 Demonstratives – This class, That wall
1.1.4 modified by article “the” – the pale moon, the
man
1.1.5 personal pronoun – I, you, he, she, it, they, we
 Classification of Terms
• 1.2 PARTICULAR – when the term represents a
part or portion of the whole
• 1.2.1 Indefinite Pronouns – Some children,
Several men, few, many, most
• 1.2.2 Use of numbers – Nine planets, Seven
dwarfs, 12 apostles
• 1.2.3 article “a” or “an” – an employee, a logic
student
 Classification of Terms
• 1.3 UNIVERSAL – when the term represents the
whole
• 1.3.1 Universal Expressions – All, Every,
whichever, whatever, No one, none etc.
• 1.3.2 Universal Idea – Man is a rational animal.,
Apple is a fruit bearing tree.
• 1.3.3 “a”, “an” or “the” if the idea is universal-
The lion is a carnivorous animal. A moment of
truth is a moment of freedom.
 Classification of Terms
• 2. According to Definition
• 2.1. First Intention – understanding of a term
according to reality.
• God is a Supreme being. All women belong to the female
specie. Ghosts are spirits
• Second Intention – understanding of a term
according to particular situations.
• That man is a womanizer. Perfumes are the products of his
company. A movie is sometimes boring.
 Classification of Terms
• 3. According to Comprehension
• 3.1 Concrete – one that presents to the mind a
form as inherent in a subject (woman, book,
priest, musician, dog, bag)
• 3.2 Abstract – one that presents to the mind a
form as separated from its subject (goodness,
rationality, beauty, freedom, tableness,
sweetness)
 Classification of Terms
• 4. According Quality
• 4.1 Positive – signifies what a being possesses
(alive, beautiful, wise, tall, sunny, happy)

• 4.2 Negative – signifies the non-existence or

non-possession of something (blind, dirty,
irrational, dark, dead, foolish)
 Classification of Terms
• 5. According to the manner of meaning
• 5.1 Univocal /homologous – if a term signifies one and
single meaning
• 3 Instances of univocity
1. when the term has no other possible meaning other
than itself (Proton, Electron, NaCl2, classical physics)
2. if the term used is defined
(Man is a rational being composed of body and soul.
A king is the head of state in a monarchical form of
government.)
 Classification of Terms
• 3. When the terms used are taken to signify
one meaning in at least two instances

Water is heavier than air. The air is fresh.

A book is a useful tool for education. It would be
good to read a book once in a while.
 Classification of Terms
• 5.2 Equivocal – if the term expresses two or more totally
unrelated and different meanings
• 3 instances of Equivocity
1. Equivocal in pronunciation only
sun-son, flair-flair, pail-pale
2. Equivocal in writing only
bow (of an arrow) –bow (inclination)
live (life) – live (actual)
3. Equivocal in writing and pronunciation
bark (of a tree)- bark (of a dog)
pen (for writing)- pen (cage)
 Classification of Terms
• 5.3 Analogous – if a term expresses similarly dissimilar
meaning
• Analogy by attribution – if a term can be applied to different
things because of an intrinsic relation
Good- life, job, health, day, man, book
Healthy- body, food, exercise, athletes
• Analogy by proportion – if a term can be applied to different
things because of some resemblance
Head- of a body, of the family
foot- of a body, of mountain
mountain- mass of land, mountain of paper/work
 Classification of Terms
• 6. According to Relation
• Contradictory – terms expressing opposition to one
another
living – non-living, white- non-white, male-non-male
• Contrary – terms expressing extremes among objects of
a series
black – white, large – small, rich-poor
• Privative – two ideas, one of which signifies perfection
and the other denies the perfection
sight-blindness, sanity-insanity, light-darkness
 Classification of Terms
• Correlative – two incompatible ideas that bear
mutual relationship with one another in such
a way that one cannot be understood without
the other.
husband-wife, ruler – subject, master-
servant, mother-child, bride-groom
 Classification of Terms
• 7. According to Meaning
• 7.1 Absolute Terms- terms that signify a
concept of the meaning of a complete
substance endowed with its independent
reality.
• 7.2 Connotative Terms – terms that signify a
concept as an existing accident in a substance.
 Supposition of Terms
• Supposition – sub (under) + ponere (to put or
to place)

-the precise meaning that a term bears in a

sentence

-the meaning of a term in a proposition

 Classification of Supposition
• A. Proper Supposition – stands for the proper object
in the real order.

• 1. Material Supposition – stands for the term itself

as either written or spoken.

Curtain is a seven letter word.

To run is a verb.
Lion is a two syllable
 Classification of Supposition
• 2. Formal Supposition – stand for a concept or
a universal

• 2.a. Logical – stands for a mere concept

Man is a specie.
Man is a universal idea.
Corruption was the topic of the seminar.
 Classification of Supposition
• 2.b. Real Supposition – stands for the thing
itself
All men are mortal.
All men are bodily substances.
All men are two legged individuals.
 Classification of Supposition
• B. Improper Supposition- stands for another
term that it suggests. (metaphorical or
figurative)

Lion is the national emblem of Great

Britain.
The Board of Directors adjourned the
meeting at 5pm.
 Definition
• Definition – definire – “to set the limits”
- is a process of simplifying the meaning of
the word at hand through the use of other
signs or words
- a statement which explains what a thing is
 Importance of Definition
1. It increases vocabulary
2. It eliminates ambiguity
3. It clarifies meaning
4. It explains theoretically
5. It facilitates argumentation
 Elements of a Definition
• 1. Definiendum – refers to the thing or
expression to be defined

• 2. Definiens- refers to the defining expression

Philosophy came from two Greek words

philos and sophia.
 Rules of a Good Definition
• The definition must be clearer than the things
defined
• The definition must not contain the idea or term
to be defined
• It must not be circular
• The definition must be convertible with the idea
defined
• The definition should whenever possible be
expressed in positive terms
 Types of Definition
• 1. Nominal Definition – expresses what a
name means not what the thing is.

• Etymological Definition – definition derived

from the meaning of the original word or
words from which the definiendum is defined.
 Types of Definition
• Synonymous Definition – gives the same
connotation of the term
• Definition by Description
• Definition by Example
• Definition by Illustration
• Ostensive – definition by simple identification
 Types of Definition
• 2. Real Definition – definition that explains the
essential properties of the object represented
by the definiendum

• Essential Definition – definition by genus and

specific difference
 Types of Definition
• Definition by genus – that which makes a thing
similar to others

• Definition by specific difference – that which

makes a thing different from the others

A square is a polygon with four equal sides.

Types of Definition