Venessa asked:
In philosophy, we got a question and it was: what is a pen? then the second question how do you put a pencil, pen, digital pen in one definition to explain it to a person who has never seen a pen, like give all of these pens in one definition.
I don’t know how to answer it philosophically. I will be grateful if you helped me, thank you.
Answer by Gideon Smith-Jones
You’re confused by the notion that the question, ‘What is a pen?’ might be a philosophical question. But I think what your instructor wants you to do is think logically and conceptually, in the way that philosophers do.
As an exercise. That’s all.
A pen can be a biro, but a biro can also be a weapon — as Jason Bourne brilliantly demonstrates in The Bourne Identity (2002). Does that mean there is really no difference between a pen and a weapon? What sorts of things can be weapons? or pens?
We once had a question, ‘People ask, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ but can philosophers answer something as simple as, ‘What is the meaning of a spoon?” You can read Rachel Browne’s answer here:
https://philosophypathways.com/questions/answers8.html#66
Your instructor wants you to work the answer out for yourself, so I am not going to answer the question for you. But that should get you thinking.
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