| Dictionary Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | PlusRoot Theory |
| Parent | Logic |
| Owner | |
| Description | The specific Definition of Terms used in The Roots of Sound Rational Thinking. |
| Terms | |
| Aesopian Language Aesopian Language =+df communications that convey an innocent meaning to outsiders but hold a concealed meaning to informed members of a conspiracy or underground movement. Aesop lived 620? to 560? BC. | |
| Affirmative Rationality Affirmative Rationality =+df adequate commitment to the basic requirements of sound rational thinking. More specifically, ‘Affirmative Rationality’ refers to elemental tenets, themes, theories, tactics, trends, attitudes, dispositions and other mental processes that are rooted in and on adequate commitment to the basic requirements of sound rational thinking. The Affirmative Rational point of view implies several important root premises. For starters, Affirmative Reason assumes the unshakable reliability of independent, impartial truth while, at the same time, recognizing the limits of human knowledge. It promotes development of clear ideas, impartial truth, right reason, fair play, free will, civil discourse, wise priorities, legitimate verification and a sense of humor. Affirmative Reason is rationally balanced. It recognizes the importance of both physiological and intellectual talents. It is intensional and extensional. Affirmative reason seeks to be adequate, not absolute. The list goes on and on. The Affirmative Rational point of view is often what we mean when we say commonsense. | |
| Articulation Articulation =+df the expression of thoughts with some understanding and some intention of communicating meaning. The term 'articulation' includes writing as well as speaking and sign language. Articulation can be liminal, critical, auxiliary and degrees in between. That which we articulate becomes public to some degree. | |
| Authentic Authentic =+df ideals, information and laws that are true, proper, and sustained independent of our knowledge of them. Authentic refers to judgments we believe to be true that actually are true. The Plusroot lexigon stipulates a distinction between the terms affirmative and authentic. Stressing the gap between authentic and affirmative helps clear up several problems. | |
| Breakthrough Discovery Set The Breakthrough Discovery set =+df the basic set of elemental axioms that click together and make modern science possible. The same set is needed for free democratic republics to succeed in establishing good societies and to advance our abilities to progress in peace. | |
| Certainty Certainty =+df the degree of conviction concerning the truth of our opinions and knowledge in a particular area. The Plusroot lexigon distinguishes several degrees of certainty, such as: absolute, virtual, resolute, metaphysical, moral, scientific, firm surety, logical. | |
| Certainty: Absolute Absolute Certainty =+df knowledge that is fully understood and totally correct in every way. It precludes doubt of any nature. Absolute Certainty is possible only to an absolute being who enjoys absolute knowledge. We humans, beset with many limitations, can not attain a state of absolute certainty. | |
| Certainty: Firm Surety Firm Surity =+df the next degree of certainty below resolute certainty. | |
| Certainty: Logical Logical Certainty =+df resolute to virtual certainty regarding rules of definition, sound judgment, logical form, application and fallacies. Logical certainty concerns the structure of an argument. It is different kind certainty from certainty regarding the truth of a proposition. We are justified in accepting many logical guidelines with virtual certainty. | |
| Certainty: Metaphysical Metaphysical Certainty =+df the term some philosophers use to apply to the highest degree of certainty possible for humans to attain. It means the same as virtual certainty. | |
| Certainty: Moral Moral Certainty =+ddf firm conviction concerning the ethical justification of actions reached after thoughtful study that has been tested through and against experience. | |
| Certainty: Resolute Resolute Certainty =+df the next degree down from virtual certainty. There are many times in discourse where resolute certainty would fit better than virtual certainty. The Plusroot lexigon reserves the term 'virtual certainty' for those propositions that stand before us with ringing clarity-such as "I exist at the moment I make this statement". Resolute certainty would apply to statements such as our exact birthday. | |
| Certainty: Virtual Virtual Certainty =+df conviction concerning the truth of a proposition so thoroughly established by substantial support that a denial would be absurd. With virtual certainty we have the confidence we need to act with conviction. Usually it is okay to use "absolute" to mean "virtual". But, in critical discourse, it is not okay. In philosophy, a distinction between absolute and virtual certainty is necessary if we wish to avoid hopeless conundrums. Virtual Certainty means the same as 'metaphysical certainty'. | |
| Comity Comity =+df a state of affairs where a dominating number of people work for mutual improvement in a fair and sound rational atmosphere over an extended period of time. Comity is sustained civil interaction in a community. Achieving and maintaining comity is a rational process using the rules of right reason. To increase our ability to reach and keep comity we need more rational skills, not less. The Plus system distinguishes world comity, national comity, religious comity, community comity, family comity, etc. | |
| Comity: World Comity World Comity =+df a condition where war between nations ceases and means are established to adequately redress national conflicts in a mutually satisfactory manner. Good will is necessary to achieve comity, but good will alone is not enough. We need good will and sufficient rational competence in all major players. Rational competence includes adequately developed honesty. | |
| Commitment Commitment =+df a freely chosen inner resolve to follow through with a course even though difficulty arises. It is a strong resolution but, because humans are limited, not absolute. Commitment, resolution, and conviction have similar strength of intent. Adequate commitment means commitment good enough for the occasion. | |
| Commonsense Commonsense =+df impromptu sound rational thinking in liminal levels of consciousness applied appropriately to problems at hand. Commonsense is a talent a person has. It is a subdivision of affirmative thinking. Commonsense is spontaneous but not all spontaneous thinking qualifies as commonsense. The type of spontaneity we encourage depends on which habits we cultivate. People using their commonsense adequately exercise good judgment and right reason and sufficiently employ: 1. Logical Intuition, 2. Keen Insight, 3. Judicious Observation, 4. Legitimate Induction, 5. Suitable Guidelines, 6. Valid Deduction, 7. Appropriate Application. | |
| Commonsense Talent Commonsense Talent =+df talent for sound rational thinking in liminal levels of consciousness and the skill to apply right reason to problems at hand in an appropriate manner. | |
| Commonsense: Cultivated and/or Educated Cultivated and/or Educated Commonsense =+df ordinary commonsense raised to a level of polished skill through education both formal and informal. Cultivated commonsense is educated liminal acumen. It is affirmative reasoning in normal workaday thinking that is well developed and applied with mature responsibility. We cultivate commonsense through experience, education, and personal effort. | |
| Conflict Conflict =+df a struggle or contest between individuals or parties for power, that is, for control and say so. | |
| Definition Definition =+df a statement expressing the meaning of a word or phrase. | |
| Definition: De-Definition De-definition =+df the process of overloading a word/term/symbol with unfitting and/or contradictory meanings to such an extent that the word/term/symbol becomes next to useless for communicating ideas. | |
| Definition: Inappropriate Inappropriate Defintion =+df and attempt at definition that is seriously unsuitable. Inappropriate definitions damage what should be a shared project among humans to foster sound rational thinking and elevate standards of problem solving. If a philosopher starts with an inappropriate definition of a core term, his reasoning, insofar as it involves that term, will lead into blind alleys and down bottomless holes. | |
| Degrees Degrees =+df steps in a process, course, or progression. Human transactions abound with gradations. The affirmative rational approach can absorb a limited amount of spurious material without losing its basic fellowship. However, at a certain degree of accumulation, negative root procedures can begin to dominate. If this happens disharmony sets in and feelings of fellowship dwindle. When discord reaches a certain point of antagonism, interaction moves outside the realm of civility and into the realm of hostility. Interaction becomes polarized into a rancorous win/loose conflict. | |
| Discourse a back and forth communication of thought by words; talk, gestures, conversation, essay, dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc. Discourse comes from Latin 'running to and fro' and discussion from Latin 'a shaking'. Discourse in the Plus system implies a give and take sharing of ideas. Using the word, discourse, presumes an intellectual component is involved in the interaction. One does not speak of discourse between gravity and the apple on the tree-unless it is a fable. | |
| Discourse: Civil human discourse that stays within the realm of rational decency. For a discourse to stay within the realm of rational decency, the people involved must follow the requirements of sound rational thinking enough to fit the occasion - even when conforming is inconvenient. Civil discourse is a non-totalitarian approach to mutual problem solving. It is a looser term than 'sound rational thinking' but presupposes enough commitment to sound reasoning to resolve the problem at hand in a cordial manner. Civil discourse can accommodate minor infractions and still be civil. Civil discourse is a moral interaction because it presupposes ethical standards that those involved should follow. | |
| Ego Bias an attitude in which individuals believe their own understanding and good intentions are so superior to their opponents that they excuse themselves from the normal requirements of civil discourse in confrontations with people they designate as inferior or their enemy. | |
| Elemental that which underlies above-root subjects such as science, politics, etc. Elemental refers to epistemology, grammar, logic, rhetoric, semantics, linguistics, math, and other subjects that deal with rational form and rational values. The terms 'elemental' and 'root' are used in this study as shortcuts. Root usually refers to elemental ideas that have taken hold and are relatively consequential. | |
| Experiment a logically controlled experience in which we critically participate in a designed event and record our interpretation in a discrete manner so it can be double checked and repeated. | |
| Folly surrender to ignorance, illusion, magic, and superstition. Each individual, culture, religion, language, and age possesses it's own share of blind spots, root errors & false beliefs as well as wisdom. We can speak of the folly of an individual, a culture, a religion, a language, an age. If any religion removed all folly from its agenda, it would quickly convert the world. We have many religions because the existing ones, while possessing much wisdom, weaken their message with ignorance, illusion, magic, and superstition. | |
| Honesty: Personal Commitment to Honesty an inner resolve to pursue truth. Each persons commitment to honesty is their own private free response to their own internal urge to honesty. The more a person is committed to pursue truth, the more they will develop the virtue of honesty. | |
| Honesty: Public Commitment to Truth the expected standard of honesty that is the prevailing rational style in a community, a culture, a generation, an age. It is 'the thing to do'. Public commitment to honesty can be quite different from a that of a specific individual. However, individual's collectively create public commitment. As individuals change, the over all public commitment alters accordingly. | |
| Honesty: Urge to Honesty our inner impulse to seek truth, to use truth, to preserve truth, to tell truth, to reason correctly, to play fair, and, in general, to apply sound judgment in fair manner to current circumstance. The urge to honesty presupposes a capacity for honesty. Our inner hunger to know truth is so strong that great power is released simply by removing some of the worst obstructions to truth seeking. | |
| Honesty: Virtue the habit of honesty that people develop as they activate their capacity for honesty. The virtue of honesty comes in varying degrees. | |
| Ideology a theory of the nature, value and use of ideas. In short, it is a theory of ideas about ideas. Being a theory, an ideology consists of definitions, tenets, themes, descriptions and examples interwoven with a thesis to form the fabric of a proposed explanation. The term 'ideology' as used herein, includes epistemology, logic, semantics, and other disciplines insofar as they presuppose elemental theories. Because so many thoughts are involved, ideologies quickly become complex. Also, because ideologies are concerned with root ideas, it is common for ideologies to contain elemental mistakes (root errors). Actual ideologies we encounter in the intellectual world are, more often than not, a mix of affirmative and negative. In this study, ideologies are evaluated in terms of the trends that hold sway. | |
| Illusion that which we believe to be true that, in actuality, is not true. Illusion can be alluring. We often hang on to illusions with an intensity that is difficult to explain. Illusions come in degrees of seriousness in which some are much more troublesome than others. Fiction, figures of speech, fantasy, etc., are not illusions as long as they are recognized for what they are. | |
| Illusion: Lure of Illusion all of the factors that entice people to believe illusions. The lure of illusion comes from without whereas the urge to honesty comes from within. | |
| Instinct TBD | |
| Intuition TBD | |
| Judgment a mental act affirming or denying a relationship of two or more meaningful thoughts. Judgment is something we do. When we make judgments we create propositions. | |
| Knowledge those propositions or sets of propositions individuals believe with good reason to be true that, in actuality, are true. Knowledge, as here defined, is intellectual. (A conditioned reflex, in this definition, does not qualify as knowledge.) Knowledge refers to those propositions that we are convinced are true that actually are true. We can never be absolutely certain that we really do know what we think we know because our understanding is limited. However, we can be virtually certain of many things and resolutely certain of many more. Virtual certainty and resolute certainty are more than adequate for our living needs. | |
| Knowledge: Body of the over all set of propositions at a given time that an individual believes to be true that, in actuality, are true. | |
| Logic the branch of knowledge that studies and seeks to articulate the requirements of right reason. It is the science of honesty. Epistemology is the science that aims to express the presuppositions that underlay the requirements of logic. If people adequately follow the basic rules of right reason they can reason well even if their epistemology is off kilter. | |
| Metaphysical the science of reality over and about the science of physics. Metaphysics studies that which exists that is not physical. Physical is that which is composed of physical matter and physical energy. If physics can shown to encompass all reality, then metaphysics is a null science. | |
| Mind our thinking faculties as well as the arena where we process, store, and manage mental activity. In humans, mind is a faculty and/or location where imagination and intellect, image and idea, percept and concept, body and soul, matter and spirit contact, interact, and intermingle. In the plus definition system, mind and soul have distantly different meanings. They are not equivalent. That is to say, the terms mind and soul cannot be interchange without altering the meaning of what is said. | |
| Negative: Root Negative remarks, implications, theories and affairs that hinder, contradict and/or repudiate affirmative values of sound rational thinking. Root negative is an umbrella term for that which impedes development of affirmative thinking, from small pinpricks to totalitarian revolution. Negative circumvents the authentic and confounds the affirmative. There are many ways of being root negative. In the Plus system, the term 'negative, means 'root negative'. | |
| Negotiation Quality the degree of problem solving skill people who share a problem employ in reaching mutually satisfactory solutions. Negotiation quality includes the competence of individuals and also the proficiency of the communication systems individuals build for themselves. Before negotiations accomplish the task at hand, the people involved must adequately follow the requirements of sound rational thinking. If parties involved keep the tone of their interaction within the realm of civil discourse, then negotiation quality will be high and the chances of success will be optimal. High quality negotiation avoids force, respects individuals, achieves mutually beneficial results and advances our abilities t progress in peace. When talk moves outside the realm of civil discourse, negotiation quality is low and tends to becomes lower. Low quality negotiation easily breaks down and reverts to violence. | |
| New Style artistic evaluations that effectively introduce and/or utilize negative root themes similar to the manner brought forward by left oriented European ideologists of the 19th century. New style critics vary dramatically in belligerence and conscious awareness of what they are doing. | |
| Philosophy Philosophy =+df a love of wisdom. More specifically philosophy is a thoughtful examination of reality, especially problems involving ideals, truth, reason, discourse, and duty, accompanied by an attempt to put first things first and expose illusion. Philosophy, as defined, includes religion insofar as religion is reflective, realistic, promotes the requirements of sound rational thinking, aims to put first things first, advocates concern for the business of mankind, and tries to avoid illusion. Divisions. The plus system, for convenience, divides philosophy into several broad divisions; intuitional, common, critical, professional, elemental. | |
| Projection Projection =+df a counter root maneuver whereby people attribute their own attitudes, feelings, suppositions and divisive maneuvers to others. By accusing another of the devious artifice of ones own doing, the perpetrator often gets off free while the “target”, who is innocent of the offense, suffers the punishment. | |
| Root Error Root Error =+df an elemental mistake from an affirmative point of view. There are several kinds of root errors. An inappropriate definition squanders terminology. A inaccurate judgment falsifies a proposition. A fallacy misuses reason. A poor ordering of values and goals bungles priorities. An illegitimate application perverts practice. 'Root error' is a generic term that includes all types of elemental mistakes. | |
| Roots of Sound Rational Thinking (Roots of Sound Rational Thinking) "The Roots of Sound Rational Thinking" is the title of an eight volume book written and copyrighted by Virginia Vallee (pen name). Two volumes (24 chapters) are on line on plusroot.com. More will be added as time permits. This book is a simple, yet penetrating, study that explores elemental rational values from an inclusive, speculative viewpoint that is both similar to and different from other approaches. Hopefully you can find something that will help you in your own suppositions. | |
| Violence Violence is herein defined as cruelty that does physical damage to another person or to property. Violence always involves conflict but not all conflict involves violence. | |
| Wisdom Wisdom =+df the discerning of essential truths and placing them in well-ordered priorities. Philosophy is love of wisdom. Human wisdom is limited. God’s wisdom is all encompassing. Loving wisdom and loving God are the same path except most religions hold that God is more than wisdom alone. Developing knowledge and under-standing and comprehension go together in the development of wisdom. | |
