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prior analytics-第21章

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necessary; but not everything which is necessary is a syllogism。



Consequently; though something results when certain propositions are



assumed; we must not try to reduce it directly; but must first state



the two premisses; then divide them into their terms。 We must take



that term as middle which is stated in both the remisses: for it is



necessary that the middle should be found in both premisses in all the



figures。



  If then the middle term is a predicate and a subject of predication;



or if it is a predicate; and something else is denied of it; we



shall have the first figure: if it both is a predicate and is denied



of something; the middle figure: if other things are predicated of it;



or one is denied; the other predicated; the last figure。 For it was



thus that we found the middle term placed in each figure。 It is placed



similarly too if the premisses are not universal: for the middle



term is determined in the same way。 Clearly then; if the same term



is not stated more than once in the course of an argument; a syllogism



cannot be made: for a middle term has not been taken。 Since we know



what sort of thesis is established in each figure; and in which the



universal; in what sort the particular is described; clearly we must



not look for all the figures; but for that which is appropriate to the



thesis in hand。 If the thesis is established in more figures than one;



we shall recognize the figure by the position of the middle term。







                                33







  Men are frequently deceived about syllogisms because the inference



is necessary; as has been said above; sometimes they are deceived by



the similarity in the positing of the terms; and this ought not to



escape our notice。 E。g。 if A is stated of B; and B of C: it would seem



that a syllogism is possible since the terms stand thus: but nothing



necessary results; nor does a syllogism。 Let A represent the term



'being eternal'; B 'Aristomenes as an object of thought'; C



'Aristomenes'。 It is true then that A belongs to B。 For Aristomenes as



an object of thought is eternal。 But B also belongs to C: for



Aristomenes is Aristomenes as an object of thought。 But A does not



belong to C: for Aristomenes is perishable。 For no syllogism was



made although the terms stood thus: that required that the premiss



AB should be stated universally。 But this is false; that every



Aristomenes who is an object of thought is eternal; since



Aristomenes is perishable。 Again let C stand for 'Miccalus'; B for



'musical Miccalus'; A for 'perishing to…morrow'。 It is true to



predicate B of C: for Miccalus is musical Miccalus。 Also A can be



predicated of B: for musical Miccalus might perish to…morrow。 But to



state A of C is false at any rate。 This argument then is identical



with the former; for it is not true universally that musical



Miccalus perishes to…morrow: but unless this is assumed; no



syllogism (as we have shown) is possible。



  This deception then arises through ignoring a small distinction。 For



if we accept the conclusion as though it made no difference whether we



said 'This belong to that' or 'This belongs to all of that'。







                                34







  Men will frequently fall into fallacies through not setting out



the terms of the premiss well; e。g。 suppose A to be health; B disease;



C man。 It is true to say that A cannot belong to any B (for health



belongs to no disease) and again that B belongs to every C (for



every man is capable of disease)。 It would seem to follow that



health cannot belong to any man。 The reason for this is that the terms



are not set out well in the statement; since if the things which are



in the conditions are substituted; no syllogism can be made; e。g。 if



'healthy' is substituted for 'health' and 'diseased' for 'disease'。



For it is not true to say that being healthy cannot belong to one



who is diseased。 But unless this is assumed no conclusion results;



save in respect of possibility: but such a conclusion is not



impossible: for it is possible that health should belong to no man。



Again the fallacy may occur in a similar way in the middle figure: 'it



is not possible that health should belong to any disease; but it is



possible that health should belong to every man; consequently it is



not possible that disease should belong to any man'。 In the third



figure the fallacy results in reference to possibility。 For health and



diseae and knowledge and ignorance; and in general contraries; may



possibly belong to the same thing; but cannot belong to one another。



This is not in agreement with what was said before: for we stated that



when several things could belong to the same thing; they could



belong to one another。



  It is evident then that in all these cases the fallacy arises from



the setting out of the terms: for if the things that are in the



conditions are substituted; no fallacy arises。 It is clear then that



in such premisses what possesses the condition ought always to be



substituted for the condition and taken as the term。







                                35







  We must not always seek to set out the terms a single word: for we



shall often have complexes of words to which a single name is not



given。 Hence it is difficult to reduce syllogisms with such terms。



Sometimes too fallacies will result from such a search; e。g。 the



belief that syllogism can establish that which has no mean。 Let A



stand for two right angles; B for triangle; C for isosceles



triangle。 A then belongs to C because of B: but A belongs to B without



the mediation of another term: for the triangle in virtue of its own



nature contains two right angles; consequently there will be no middle



term for the proposition AB; although it is demonstrable。 For it is



clear that the middle must not always be assumed to be an individual



thing; but sometimes a complex of words; as happens in the case



mentioned。







                                36







  That the first term belongs to the middle; and the middle to the



extreme; must not be understood in the sense that they can always be



predicated of one another or that the first term will be predicated of



the middle in the same way as the middle is predicated of the last



term。 The same holds if the premisses are negative。 But we must



suppose the verb 'to belong' to have as many meanings as the senses in



which the verb 'to be' is used; and in which the assertion that a



thing 'is' may be said to be true。 Take for example the statement that



there is a single science of contraries。 Let A stand for 'there



being a single science'; an
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