what is food?

what do definitions tell us?

• meaning of a term or concept

• the nature of a thing

• member of a kind

how do we give a definition?

specify all and only those characteristics of the defined thing

what is a necessary condition?

what is required for something to be the case

what is sufficient condition?

what is enough for something ot be the case

what is a definition?

the meaning of a concept or term by specifying the necessary and sufficient conditions for the term’s application

how do we know when we have gotten a definition right?

when there are no counterexamples to the definition

what is defining food as a natural kind?

a natural kind is a category determined by physical properties, such as chemical/biological properties

what is defining food as a functional kind?

by its function of nourishing, similar to how chairs are defined by their function of sitting

what is defining food as a social constructed kind?

defined not by its physical properties but by how societies treat it, including what substances are considered edible, when they should be eaten, and what cultural meaning they carry