“Teach a child

WHAT to THINK
and you make him
a slave of
knowledge;
But, teach a child
HOW to THINK
and you make
knowledge his
slave.”

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 Module 1:
APPREHENSION, IDEAS AND
TERMS

Prepared by Mr. Roland Lorenzo M. Ruben

Philosophy section, SSD Page 2
De La Salle University - Dasmariñas
Overview
1. Meaning of Idea and Term
2. Logical Qualities of Terms
a) Comprehension
b) Extension
c) Relationship of Comprehension &
Extension
3. Classification of Terms
a) According to Comprehension
1) Univocal
2) Equivocal
3) Analogous
b) According to Extension
1) Universal
2) Particular
3) Singular
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 1. Meaning of Idea and Term
• While reasoning or inference is the subject matter
of Logic, other operations of the mind must be
taken into account.
• Reasoning involves judgment, the act of affirming
or denying ideas.
• Similarly, arguments as a language expression of
reasoning, is composed of propositions.
• Propositions, in turn, involves terms.
• Our study of Logic will follow the
natural division in terms of the
operation of the intellect
corresponding to their language
expression as shown here:
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 • Simple Apprehension
• Judging
3 Acts of the
Mind
• Reasoning / Inference

• Ideas, concepts (products of conceiving)

• Judgment (products of judging)
3 Mental
Products
• Arguments (products of reasoning)

• Terms
• Propositions
3 Language
Expressions
• Arguments / Syllogisms

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 • Terms - none
• Propositions – subject + predicate terms
Structural Parts • Argument – premises and conclusion

• Terms – What it is
• Propositions – whether it is
Questions
logical entities • Arguments - why it is
answer

• Terms – are they clear or unclear

• Propositions – are they true or false
How to judge the • Arguments / Syllogisms – are they
correctness of
the entities valid or invalid

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 • The process of forming ideas of things will help us learn
and understand the nature of the first operation of the
mind, its thought-product and its expression in language.
To illustrate:

Knowing Operation Thought- Language

(stages in the
powers formation of ideas)
Product expression
External Sensation Sense image
senses
Internal Imagination Phantasm
senses
Intellect Simple Idea Term
Apprehension

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• This intellectual image should not be confounded with
the sensible image, or phantasm, which is a material
representation of material objects, and which is formed
by the imagination, by means of the material organ of the
brain. The difference between these two images is great,
and distinction between them is of vital importance in
Philosophy.

http://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/lamp01.htm Page 8
 For instance, I
intellectually conceive a
triangle by apprehending a
figure enclosed by three
lines and thus having three
angles. My notion or idea
contains this and nothing
more; it is very precise,
and every one who
conceives a triangle
conceives it exactly the
same way.

http://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/lamp01.htm Page 9
 • But when I imagine a
triangle, I cannot help
imagining it with sensible
material accidents, as being
of such or such a size and
shape, a foot long at one
time, a mile long at another.
The picture may be vague,
various pictures of triangles
may be blended together; but
it can never be universal,
representing all possible
triangles, as my idea does.
This imagination is
a phantasm.
http://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/lamp01.htm Page 10
• Simple apprehension – the mind grasps the
general meaning of an object. What results is an
idea or concept.
• Idea – a mental image of an object. Once man
desires to communicate his ideas to other men, he
verbalizes the idea with a word, phrase or term.
• Term – the word or phrase by which we express
our idea.
– A term may be defined as a word or phrase which serves
as a conventional sign of an idea.

object idea
term

triangle
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 IDEA
Perceived object
persons…

TERM

persons

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2. LOGICAL QUALITIES OF TERMS

Two fundamental
qualities or properties:
a. Comprehension
b. Extension

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 a. comprehension
• that property of a term (idea) which is the sum of
the characteristic notes of an idea signified by
the term.
• We understand the meaning,
signification, or thought-content of an
idea or term;
• It tells us what the idea or term implies;
• What essential attributes it contains in
itself, what information it has
concerning the thing it represents;
• It gives the content of a term.

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 b. extension
• that property of a term (idea) which refers to the
subjects or things to which the term may be
applied.
– Absolute
– Functional = universal, particular, singular
• Expresses the application of this
content to the individuals and groups in
which it is found.
• It refers to all things to which a term
applies; it shows us how and in how
many objects the idea is realized.

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 RELATIONSHIP OF COMPREHENSION AND EXTENSION
EXTENSION

SPIRIT Substance Spirit Mineral Plant Brute Man

MINERAL Substance material Mineral Plant Brute Man

PLANT Substance material living Plant Brute Man

ANIMAL Substance material living sentient Brute Man

MAN Substance material living sentient rational Man

COMPREHENSION
Comprehension and extension are correlative; they have an
inverse relation as well. As the intelligible contents of a term
increase, the subjects to which it may be applied decrease, and
vice-versa. Page 16
3. CLASSIFICATION OF TERMS

A. According to comprehension:
1) Univocal
2) Equivocal
3) Analogous
B. According to extension:
1) Universal
2) Particular
3) Singular

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A. According to comprehension
1) Univocal term – a term used for a number of
different things with exactly the same meaning.
• ‘Flower’ is univocal when it is applied to 2 or
more things in the same way, i.e. sampaguita,
sunflower, rose, etc.

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A. According to comprehension
1) Univocal term – a term used for a number of
different things with exactly the same meaning.
• ‘Grain’ is univocal when applied to sugar, sand,
salt, rice, corn, etc.

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 A. According to comprehension
1) Univocal term – a term used for a number of
different things with exactly the same meaning.
other examples:
1. A ring is a piece of jewelry, so
is a bracelet.
2. Some metals like gold, lead,
silver, and copper are mined in
the Philippines.

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 A. According to comprehension
2) Equivocal term – used for a number of things
with an entirely different meaning.
• ‘ruler’ is an equivocal term because it may mean
either as ‘a measure which is 12 inches long’ or
‘a head of state’.

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 A. According to comprehension
3) Analogous term – a term used for a number of things
with partly the same and partly different meanings.
• ‘mother’ may be applied to a female parent, to a nun, to a
country, or to any woman caring for a child without
necessarily being a parent. E.g. Marcia mothers an orphan.

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 A. According to comprehension
3) Analogous term – a term used for a number of
things with partly the same and partly different
meanings.
• ‘Flower’ is an equivocal term because it may
mean either as ‘a botanical specimen’ or ‘a
loved one’.

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 A. According to comprehension
3) Analogous term – a term used for a number of things
with partly the same and partly different meanings.

For example:
1. Jesus’ arms were nailed to the arms of
the cross.
2. His father, who is the head of the family,
also heads the family business.
3. Logic is a tool for reasoning; a hoe is a
tool for gardening.
4. Our bishop shepherds his diocese, as a
herdsman shepherds his flock.

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 B. According to Extension
1) Universal term – stands for each or for all
individuals to which it may be applied.
• The standard quantifiers for universal terms are:
all, each, every, no… anything, everybody, any
and other similar words meaning ALL.

For example:
1. Every forest has wild animals.
2. All men are equal.
3. No one is above the law.

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 B. According to Extension
2) Particular term – stands for an indefinite
individual or group.
• Quantifier: ‘some’… few, many, most,
majority, indefinite article: a or an…

For example:
1. Many citizens are intelligent voters.
2. Some politicians are power-hungry.

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 B. According to Extension
3) Singular term – stands for a definitely
designated individual or group.
• All proper names, definite descriptions,
demonstrative pronouns (this, that, those,
these), superlatives, collective nouns, restrictive
qualifications (the inventor of the telephone).

For example:
1. Noynoy is the brother of Kris Aquino.
2. That politician is a Caviteño.
3. The Philippines is the most corrupt
country in Asia.
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 SUMMARY
1.Meaning of Idea and Term
2.Logical Qualities of Terms
3.Classification of Terms

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 SUMMARY
• The formation of ideas in the mind consists of
different stages, such as sensation, imagination,
and simple apprehension.
• Through simple apprehension, the intellect gets the
meaning or the nature of objects and produces an
image in the mind which is called an idea.

• An idea is the mental representation of

objects in reality.
• A term is the language expression of
idea. It is a word or phrase which
serves as a conventional sign of an
idea. Page 29
 SUMMARY
• A term has two logical properties: comprehension
and extension.
• The sum-total of all the intelligible notes of an idea
signified by a term is known as comprehension.
The subjects to which the term is applied is its
extension.
• Terms are classified according to comprehension:
• univocal,
• equivocal and
• analogous.
• Terms according to functional extension:
• singular,
• universal and
• particular.
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 Module 1: Ideas and Terms

Next topic: Judgments and Propositions

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