Categorical Propositions Flashcards
What is the central nervous system of an argument in logic?
The central nervous system of an argument in logic is the proposition.
How do Copi and Cohen define a proposition and how do they describe them?
Copi and Cohen define a proposition as “something that may be asserted or denied.”Copi and Cohen see propositions as “the building blocks in which arguments are made.”
Provide examples of expressions that are considered propositions in logic.
“Yaya is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies” and “Lagos is the commercial city of Nigeria.”
How is truth related to propositions in logic?
Truth and falsity are attributes of propositions in logic, with a proposition being true when it asserts what is the case and false when it asserts what is not the case.
What is a logical truth?
A logical truth is a statement that remains true under all reinterpretations of its components and is considered true in all possible worlds.
Provide an example of a logical truth.
Example: “All married people are married”
What is a categorical proposition?
A categorical proposition is a type of proposition that talks only about the relationship between two classes, the subject term, and the predicate term.
What constitutes the matter and form of a categorical proposition?
The subject and predicate of a categorical proposition constitute its matter, while its form is the copula affirming or denying the predicate of the subject term.
What are the four standard-form categorical propositions?
The four standard-form categorical propositions are “All S is P,” “No S is P,” “Some S is P,” and “Some S is not P.”
What does “some” mean in logic?
In logic, “some” is understood to mean “at least one.”
What determines the quality of a categorical proposition?
The quality of a categorical proposition is determined by whether there is class inclusion or exclusion in the relationship between the subject and predicate terms.
When is a term considered distributed in a categorical proposition?
A term is considered distributed in a categorical proposition if the proposition makes an assertion about every member of the class denoted by the term.
Why are propositions considered a fundamental component of logical study?
Propositions are fundamental in logical study because proficiency in formulating valid propositions correlates with the ability to advance valid arguments, as emphasized by Copi and Cohen.
What are the 4 parts of the categorical proposition?
subject, quantifier, copula and predicate
What is a class?
Copi and Cohen understand a class to mean “the collection of all objects that have some specified characteristic in common” (2002).
