science

The Philosophical Lexicon

The Philosophical Lexicon is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand The Philosophical Lexicon rather than just read about it. In short: The Philosophical Lexicon is a humorous dictionary founded by philosopher Daniel Dennett and now edited by Asbjørn Steglich-Petersen. It lists neologisms that have been humorously coined from the names of (mostly) contemporary philosophers.

Key takeaways

The Philosophical Lexicon belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect The Philosophical Lexicon to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Philosophical Lexicon from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Philosophical Lexicon is a humorous dictionary founded by philosopher Daniel Dennett and now edited by Asbjørn Steglich-Petersen. It lists neologisms that have been humorously coined from the names of (mostly) contemporary philosophers. For example, the following definition refers to the philosopher Willard Van Orman Quine:quine, v. (1) To deny resolutely the existence or importance of something real or significant. "Some philosophers have quined classes, and some have even quined physical objects." Occasionally used intr., e.g., "You think I quine, sir. I assure you I do not!" (2) n. The total aggregate sensory surface of the world; hence quinitis, irritation of the quine.

External links The Philosophical Lexicon, 8th Edition

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Philosophical Lexicon

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Philosophical Lexicon claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to The Philosophical Lexicon before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about The Philosophical Lexicon ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of The Philosophical Lexicon

In research: The Philosophical Lexicon appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses The Philosophical Lexicon in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: The Philosophical Lexicon is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cognitive science literature, Encyclopedias of philosophy, Philosophical phrases, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Philosophical Lexicon outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study The Philosophical Lexicon in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Philosophical Lexicon means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain The Philosophical Lexicon out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Philosophical Lexicon in simple terms?

Why does The Philosophical Lexicon matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study The Philosophical Lexicon?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on The Philosophical Lexicon.