Comparison of Different Total Views

When comparing different systems, one must first consider all explicit defi- nitions. All defined words (all definienda) are omitted and replaced by their definientia. For example, when a philosopher employs the word substance, but defines it, there is every reason to replace the word with the definition in comparisons, because other philosophers can easily mean something different by the word; likewise, if a philosopher has theses about empiricism, but defines empiricism. Of course, the definitions will deviate substantially according to the positive or negative attitude of a philosopher. At the outset, one does not assume that words from the vernacular are used in any special sense that has to be taken into account in order to understand the system. (Exceptions may occur, however. Some philosophers—Heidegger, for example—apparently use everyday words in unusual ways.) In accordance with this, one also assumes that the comparer’s everyday speech is neutral in relation to the systems compared.