Is it possible to define anything, in a encompassing way, to describe something in a singular manner? — ISeeIDoIAm

Yes. People do it all the time. But conventional computers can't do it. We know things like trees by defining their essence, not in words, but in feelings. The "essence" is not a collection of parts that must be enumerated in order to define the object. Instead, it is how we categorize it relative to our personal perspective.

For ordinary pragmatic purposes, the human mind defines trees and dogs holistically. It's only for theoretical purposes that science attempts to define a thing or species reductively. The holistic image of a tree in my mind is singular, and is easily distinguished from a bush or a dog, but difficult to put into words.

What I'm calling the "essence" of a thing is similar to the notion of an immaterial Soul. It's a holistic pattern; yet not the visible dots, but the invisible links or inter-relationships. So, if the thought of defining an individual "overwhelms" you, just back off a bit in order to see or feel the whole, as the parts fade out of focus. Unfortunately for a philosopher, you will not be able to define it by the details, but only metaphorically, by what it's like to you --- it's "aboutness". As you implied, the essence is a subjective "quality", not an objective thing.

Hence, you can't be specific, but you can summarize the essence of a thing by noting its general defining quality. But, as Justice Potter Stewart noted, that's easier thought than said. :nerd:


"I know it when I see it" : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it

Human Essence : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence

Aboutness : " this is not just a feature of subject matter, but its essence."
https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691144955/aboutness

Cognitive computing : https://cra.org/crn/2016/09/computing-cognition-future-knowing-humans-machines-forging-new-age-understanding/

Theory of Enformed Systems : https://hilgart.org/enformy/$wsr02.html

Is it possible to define anything, in a encompassing way, to describe something in a singular manner? — ISeeIDoIAm

Why do you want to define anything?

The only purpose of definitions is to facilitate communication as unambiguously as possible.

Yes, is possible to define something, and it is possible to define something of intrinsic value.

The Sun

The sun projects what we all agree is visible spectrum of light and energy across the solar system.

Objects, life beings, and above ground elements about the Earth are to some extent influenced by the Sun's light and energy, because the Earth rotates daily and revolves about the Sun's gravitational pull.

If the Earth could be considered one unit, or one celestial body, including all the life forms, elements within, about, and/or above the Earth to some point, line, curve, or other form of measurement within the atmosphere, whether the boundaries are defined or undefined, the then Sun has some sort of intrinsic value to each fractional or whole unit, whether it be alive in some way, as we consider alive as a plant or animal or bacteria or virus, or one of the many elements contained within the atmosphere of the Earth (see any Element Chart), or other known or unknown about this Earth; because to some extent each unit either reflects or absorbs or has reflected or absorbed either the Sun's light or energy, whether by osmosis or via translational temperature transfer, directly or indirectly.

Now, that's a mouthful, and I'm not sure it's written correctly, as no one might consider me a philosopher. Best I can describe myself: one with an insatiable appetite to learn.

I hope I did not intrude upon your discussion in any harmful manner.

I searched INTRINSIC VALUE PHILOSOPHY. Here is where I landed. This is my first post.

My interest is to discuss with other philosophers what they might consider have relative Philosophical values and to what degree or extent, as I'd be interested to learn from the masses:

What do you consider of Value?

For instance, a warm shower is of value. Oxygen is of value. Sunshine is of value. Two of the three have "Intrinsic value," though the warm shower may or may not.

The world is full of value dislocations, dependent upon the day and dependent upon whoever is relaying those beliefs, concepts, items, emotions, needs, desires, and such at that particular time of their life that they're relaying an answer to such a question.

Certainly and Definitively there exists different types of intrinsic value.
Intrinsic Value Defined: something that has value, in and of itself (my definition, as accepted.)

Alabama Brian

Is it possible to define anything, in a encompassing way, to describe something in a singular manner? And to what degree does that quality define itself in contrast to the [functional?] connections that allows that system/trait to exist? — ISeeIDoIAm

I am thinking that the mind's intuition of its own existence corresponds with and is the synthetic integration of the total set of ts functional connections. So consciousness, qua identity, i.e. this perspective, could be so singularly defined.