The Argument from Definition Revisited: Race and Definition in the Progressive Era

Abstract

In this essay, I examine the ways in which the argument from definition functions. Specifically, I consider two novels published in 1912 that illustrate the argument from definition in descriptions of race during the Progressive era. Based on this case study, my position is (a) that all definitions should be regarded as contingent and (b) that, contra Richard Weaver, the argument from definition, far from being ethically superior to other argument types, poses specific ethical concerns that require careful consideration.