Meaning of dormitive principle | Babel Free

Definitions

A type of tautology in which an item is explained in terms of the item itself, only put in different (usually more abstract) words.

idiomatic, rhetoric

Equivalents

Examples

“We note⟳ Bateson's (1968) dormitive principle at work⟳ in which behaviors are described as traits such as LD, which then are used to explain⟳ the behavior.”

“For Arrow, many socioeconomic phenomena are explained in terms of the "dormitive principle", which, he says, simply repeats the phenomenon being explained.”

“If we examine⟳ traditional explanations of behavior through the lens of recursion, we will sometimes find⟳ what Bateson called "dormitive principles," a form⟳ of circular description. A "dormitive principle" is a more abstract repackaging of a description of the item you claim⟳ to be explaining. To paraphrase Bateson, this occurs when the cause of a simple action, as for example, when aggression is explained as being caused by an "aggressive instinct" or psychotic symptomatology is attributed to "madness."”

“And to any intelligent reader, explanation of an 'inherent ability' was reminiscent of Molière's mock explanation of the soporific effects of opium - that it contained a 'dormitive principle'.”

“Similarly, to view⟳ “leadership" as something that resides in a person is to generate⟳ a dormitive principle. This would inspire⟳ such pseudoexplanations as “He leads because he possesses leadership qualities.””

“Prevent⟳ disability from becoming a dormitive principle that can, per se, justify⟳ any conduct or event in the interaction of the disabled person”

“To say⟳ that "he only uses drugs because he is the black sheep” is to mix⟳ up these logical types, also called invoking the dormitive principle.”

CEFR level