The definition of terms is required so that we can be on the same page of understanding about something we are talking about.

At work, so I don't have the time to fully read the whole post, but I upvoted you just because of that line alone.

It's at the very center of a lot of our issues in today's world: the fact that terms have such varied meanings to different people.

Take racism for instance.

For one, racism means violently attacking people of a specific ethnic background; for the other, it means merely disliking people of a specific ethnic background.

The two get into an argument about racism, and neither specifies what it is that they mean by the term "racism".

It's obvious why they won't come to any kind of mutual understanding: one is talking about apples and the other about oranges.

But they both think they are talking about bananas.

I'll read the post more thoroughly in an hour or so.

Good topic.