Q&A: Combinatorial Definition
Combinatorial Definition
Question
Hello and blessings,
I seem to remember hearing from you about “combinatorial definitions,” but right now I can’t manage to locate it.
If I’m not mistaken, you dealt there with the oddness of this kind of definition: you choose a set of characteristics, and when some of them are present—even if they are not always the same characteristics—you define the phenomenon as X. From what I remember, you pointed out that there is an intended meaning here—which is why we call two people in whom somewhat different characteristics are present by the same name!—even though there isn’t really a sharp definition of its essence (even less so than with ordinary definitions). Consequently, the only option is to rely on a certain combination of characteristics. I’m trying to find where you wrote about this, but so far I haven’t found it.
If you did in fact address this somewhere, could you direct me to it?
Answer
See, for example, the series of columns on poetry, from 107 onward. Also in my booklet on secular Judaism (published by Ivrit, not here on the site). And there are others.
Discussion on Answer
In the booklet on secular Judaism I saw only a short paragraph where you merely mentioned that such a definition exists. But beyond that there was no discussion or statement about it at all (you immediately moved on to discussing secular culture, etc.)
Up to now I haven’t used the term “combinatorial definition,” but the content of the concept has already appeared. Right now I don’t remember exactly where. You can try column 731. In any case, if you’re looking for a discussion of such definitions themselves, I don’t recall having such a discussion anywhere in my writings. I just use them from time to time, but I haven’t discussed them as such.
Thank you very much
At first glance, I didn’t find any mention of it in the series on poetry. If you remember any additional sources, I’d be glad to know