| | More specifically, he's saying that those who accept the analytic-synthetic dichotomy think it is not necessarily true that ice floats--because the idea is not contained in the definition of ice. In other words, they hold that the concept "ice" means only its definition, and does not include all the other observed properties and facts about ice.
Objectivism holds that a concept refers to the entire aspect of reality, including all its characteristics known and unknown. A definition serves only the purpose of pointing out to oneself what aspect of reality is being isolated and named. As part of its function, a definition seeks to encapsulate as much information as possible about the thing. That is why it is stated in terms of those qualities that explain the most about the thing. For example, a definition of a tool might include a statement of what it is for.
Definitions can change as one's knowledge does. To an early Eskimo, the definition of ice might have been "a clear rock that turns into water in your hand." Such a definition would imply different ideas about what is to be regarded as "necessarily true" about ice, if one were to accept the analytic-synthetic distinction. To Objectivism, all facts are necessary, and just as one rejects alternatives to the existence of existence, one rejects alternatives to the identity of existence.
(Edited by Rodney Rawlings on 4/24, 3:36pm)
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