Argument from definition

Unauthorized downloading is not theft because unauthorized downloading does not deprive the original owner of the use of an object.

The subjects are the same and the predicates are different, so the argument form is alpha (a is X because a is Y): “Unauthorized downloading (a) is not theft (X) because unauthorized downloading (a) does not deprive the original owner of the use of an object (Y)”.

The conclusion is a statement of value (V) and the premise a statement of fact (F), so the argument substance is VF: “Unauthorized downloading is not theft (V) because unauthorized downloading does not deprive the original owner of the use of an object (F)”.

The keyword DEFINITION describes the relationship between predicates Y and X. The argument lever can thus be formulated as “Depriving the original owner of the use of an object (Y) is the DEFINITION of theft (X)”.

Other examples

• The author of this blog post committed plagiarism because they presented another person’s work as their own.

Notes

The example is taken from a comment on an article published on techdirt.com on 05.04.2010.