1998 Articles

A Note on Analysis and Circular Definitions

Varzi, Achille C.

An analysis—in its simplest form—is an assertion aiming to capture a certain intimate link between a given concept (the analysandum) and another, typically more precise and fully explicit concept (the analysans). In some cases, even a whole theory may be regarded as a constituting an analysis. For example, Russell’s celebrated theory of definite descriptions may be viewed as an analysis of that formal concept which in natural language can be expressed by means of the definite article. Analyses are also called philosophical, real, or simply analyzing definitions.