Question at position 14 Identify which error the following reportive definition commits (select one): A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor in a municipality. Identify which error the following reportive definition commits (select one): A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor in a municipality. Too broadCircularObscureToo narrow单项选择题
A
Too broad
B
Circular
C
Obscure
D
Too narrow

Question

Question at position 14 Identify which error the following reportive definition commits (select one): A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor in a municipality. Identify which error the following reportive definition commits (select one): A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor in a municipality. Too broadCircularObscureToo narrow单项选择题

A

Too broad

B

Circular

C

Obscure

D

Too narrow

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt asks us to identify what error the given reportive definition commits. Here is a step-by-step evaluation of each option.

Option 1: Too broad. A definition is too broad if it captures more than the intended domain or class, or if it applies to things outside what is being defined. The statement A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor in a municipality does not seem to overgeneralize beyond the intended class, since it is specifically about mayors who hold the office. Therefore, this option doesn’t fit the error of being too broad.

Option 2: Circular. A circular definition uses the term being defined (or a closely related term) as part of the definition itself, offering no extra information to distinguish the term. Here, the phrase 'A mayor is an individual who holds the office of mayor' uses 'mayor' to define 'mayor' by restating the same term, which provides no independent identifying features. This matches the classic hallmark of a circular definition.

Option 3: Obscure. An obscure definition relies on vague, ambiguous, or technical language that makes the term hard to understand. The given definition uses plain language and a direct restatement, so it is not obscured or unclear in its meaning.

Option 4: Too narrow. A definition is too narrow if it excludes things that should be included in the term’s extension. Since the statement includes the ordinary meaning of a mayor as someone who holds the office, it does not appear to exclude appropriate cases, so it is not too narrow.

In summary, the only option that accurately characterizes the given definition as an error is Circular, because the definition essentially uses the term itself to define the term, offering no independent content to delineate what a mayor is beyond the self-reference.