Works › Prior Analytics, Books I–II
Volume 1 · pp. 486–487
Treatise II. On the generation of syllogisms in figure. Chapter I.
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TRACTATUS II. DE GENERATIONE SYLLOGISMORUM IN FIGURA.
CAPUT I. De modo procedendi in hac materia.
His vero sic praelibatis tanquam syllogismorum principiis, dicendum est jam deinceps per quae sicut per terminos et propositiones et principia, et quando quantum ad figuras, et quo modo quantum ad modos et conjugationes fit omnis syllogismus, et postea in libro Posteriorum Analyticorum dicemus de demonstratione, et scientia demonstrativa: quia in illa salvatur perfecte forma syllogismi: et non ita salvatur in scientia dialectica, et syllogismo dialectico probabili: minus autem salvatur in sophistico.
De syllogismo autem simpliciter prius dicendum, quia a communioribus debet incipere speculatio. Universalior autem est syllogismus simpliciter quam demonstratio: quia non convertitur consequentia a syllogismo ad demonstrationem: omnis enim demonstratio syllogismus est, sed non omnis syllogismus demonstratio. De syllogismo igitur primo dicendum est. Inter alia autem quae de syllogismo dicenda sunt, prius dicendum est per quae quoad terminos et propositiones fiat syllogismus: et prius dicendum erit de generatione syllogismorum, et ita descendendum erit ad alia. Ad generationem autem syllogismi requiritur ordo terminorum in propositionibus syllogismi positorum, ex quo ordine generantur syllogismorum diversae figurae. Et cum omnis syllogismus in figura prima primam suam et formalem habeat generationem, oportet quod de tali ordine terminorum primo dicatur: et quia ordinatio primae figurae fit secundum naturalem rerum et terminorum situm, et taliter non ordinantur termini in secunda et tertia figuris, in primo inchoandum est de ordinatione terminorum secundum generationem primae figurae: et postea erit dicendum de ordinatione terminorum ad secundae et tertiae figurae constitutionem: deinceps autem de inventione medii erit dicendum, quia illa refertur ad syllogismi generationem. Dicendum autem etiam de syllogismorum imperfectorum reductione: quia quamdiu syllogismus est imperfectus, quaecumque requiruntur ad perfectionem ipsius, sunt aliquo modo de ipsius generatione. Postea vero sub alterius libri principio determinabimus modos speciales faciendi syllogismos, sicut ex hypothesi, et ad impossibile, et alia quaecumque videbuntur ad potestatem syllogismi sive scientiae syllogisticae pertinere: sic enim ordinate melius memoriter retinebitur id quod est tradendum.
TREATISE II. ON THE GENERATION OF SYLLOGISMS IN FIGURE.
CHAPTER I. On the manner of proceeding in this matter.
With these things thus set forth beforehand as principles of syllogisms, it must now be said next through what things, as through terms and propositions and principles, and when, with respect to figures, and in what way, with respect to modes and conjugations, every syllogism is made; and afterward, in the book of the Posterior Analytics, we shall speak about demonstration and demonstrative science, because in it the form of syllogism is perfectly preserved. And it is not so preserved in dialectical science and in the probable dialectical syllogism; still less is it preserved in the sophistical one.
But first one must speak about syllogism simply, because consideration ought to begin from more common things. Now syllogism simply is more universal than demonstration, because the consequence is not converted from syllogism to demonstration: for every demonstration is a syllogism, but not every syllogism is a demonstration. Therefore one must speak first about syllogism. But among the things that must be said about syllogism, one must first say through what, as regards terms and propositions, a syllogism is made; and first there will have to be discussion of the generation of syllogisms, and thus there will be descent to the other matters. For the generation of a syllogism requires the order of terms posited in the propositions of the syllogism, from which order the diverse figures of syllogisms are generated. And since every syllogism has its first and formal generation in the first figure, it is necessary that one speak first about such an order of terms. And because the ordering of the first figure occurs according to the natural position of things and terms, and terms are not ordered in such a way in the second and third figures, one must begin first from the ordering of terms according to the generation of the first figure; and afterward there will have to be discussion of the ordering of terms for the constitution of the second and third figure. Next one must discuss the discovery of the middle, because that is referred to the generation of the syllogism. One must also speak about the reduction of imperfect syllogisms, because so long as a syllogism is imperfect, whatever is required for its perfection belongs in some way to its generation. But afterward, at the beginning of the other book, we shall determine the special modes of making syllogisms, such as from hypothesis and to the impossible, and all other things which will seem to pertain to the power of syllogism or of syllogistic science; for in this ordered way what must be handed down will better be held in memory.
Pro terminis autem utimur terminis transcendentibus: eo quod haec ars communis est, et omni materiae aptabilis, et nullam sibi determinat materiam specialem1: terminos autem transcendentes vocamus A, B, C, eo quod termini illi nihil secundum se significant: et ideo pro omnibus possunt poni. Nos enim non quaerimus hic nisi generationem syllogismi secundum formale esse suum secundum quod syllogismus est: et ideo oportet tales terminos ponere, in quibus non significetur nisi forma syllogismi: quia si aliquid significarent determinate, non denotaretur in eis forma omnibus applicabilis. Talis igitur erit noster modus procedendi.
For terms, however, we use transcendent terms, because this art is common and applicable to every matter, and determines no special matter for itself1. But we call A, B, C transcendent terms, because those terms signify nothing according to themselves, and therefore can be put for all things. For here we seek nothing except the generation of the syllogism according to its formal being, according as it is a syllogism; and therefore one must posit such terms in which nothing is signified except the form of the syllogism. For if they signified something determinate, the form applicable to all things would not be denoted in them. Therefore such will be our manner of proceeding.
Notes
- He said this above, chapter 9, treatise I of the Prior Analytics, concerning conversions. (Hoc supra cap. 9 tract. I Priorum Analyticorum dixit de conversionibus.) ↩
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