Final Review Flashcards
What is the definition of logic?
Logic is the science of right thinking
What are the two main branches of logic
formal or “minor” logic; material or “major” logic
Define truth
correspondence to reality
Define validity
when the conclusion follows logically from the premises
Define soundness
when all the premises are true and the argument is valid
What is the purpose of formal logic?
to lead us from one truth to another
List the three acts of the mind involved in logic and their corresponding verbal expressions.
Simple apprehension - term; judgement - proposition (or statement); deductive inference - syllogism
What are the three things associated with simple apprehension?
sense perception; mental image; concept
Give a definition of sense perception
the act of seeing or hearing or smelling or tasting or touching
Give the definition of mental image
the image of an object formed in the mind as a result of a sense perception of that object
Give the definition of simple apprehension
an act by which the mind grasps the concept or general meaning of an object without affirming or denying anything about it
List the three acts of the mind involved in logic and their corresponding verbal expressions.
Simple apprehension - term; judgement - proposition (or statement); deductive inference - syllogism
Name the five elements represented by a concept
substance, material, living, sentient, rational
What is the extension concept ‘man’?
all the men there are, ever were, and ever will be
How do you find the comprehension of a concept?
List the notes (or Porphyrian Tree categories)
What is the relationship between extension and comprehension?
the greater the comprehension a concept has, the less extension it has; and the more extension it has, the less comprehension
What does sentient mean?
it has senses such as sight, hearing, etc.
What does material mean?
it has a body, rather than being purely spiritual - like angels
What does substance mean?
It is something rather than nothing
What are the two properties of terms
signification and supposition
Give a definition of term
a word or group of words that verbally expresses a concept
What are three ways terms can be divided according to signification?
univocal terms; equivocal terms; analogous terms
What are univocal terms?
terms that have exactly the same meaning no matter when or how they are used
What are equivocal terms?
terms that, although spelled and pronounced exacly alike, have entirely different and unrelated meanings
What are analogous terms?
terms that are applied to different things, but have related meanings
What is material supposition?
the use of a term according to its verbal existence
What is logical supposition?
the use of a term according to its mental or logical existence
What is real supposition?
the use of a term according to its real or actual existence
What is the definition of judgement?
the act by which the intellect unites by affirming, or separates by denying
What does a judgment unite (or separate)?
judgement unites or separates two concepts
What is the definition of proposition?
a sentence that expresses truth or falsity
What are three elements of any proposition?
the subject-term; the predicate-term; the copula
Explain what the subject-term is
the verbal expression of the subject of a judgement
Explain with the predicate-term is
the verbal expression of the predicate of a judgement
Explain what the copula is
the word in the proposition that connects or relates the subject to the predicate
What are the four components of a proposition?
quantifier, subject-term, predicate-term, copula
Name and describe the four basic types of statements
A: All S is P; I: Some is is P; E: No S is P; O: Some S is not P
The quality of a proposition has to do with whether it is __ or __.
affirmative; negative
What type of statements are said to be affirmative?
sentences that affirm something to be true about the subject; A and I statements
What type of statements are said to be negative?
sentences that deny something about the subject; E and O statements
The quantity of a proposition is either ___ or ___.
universal; particular
What type of statements are said to be universal
statements that confirm or deny something about all the members in a group; A and E
What type of statements are said to be particular
statements that confirm or deny something about only some of the members in a group; I and O
What are the two kinds of relationship statements can have to one another.
opposition; equivalence
What are the four ways A, I, E, and O statements can be related to one another in opposition
contradictory, contrary, subcontrary, subalternate
Which two pairs of statements are contradictory?
A and O; E and I
Which types of statements are contrary?
A and E
Which types of statements are subcontrary?
I and O
Which types of statements are subalternate
A and I; E and O
Give the Subject-term and predicate-term for each type of statement
A - distributed (d) - undistributed (u); I- undistributed (u) - undistributed (u); E - distributed (d) - distributed (d); O - undistributed (u) - distributed (d)
What are three ways in which statements can be converted into their logical equivalents?
Obversion, conversion, contraposition
Give the two-step method for obverting a statement.
Change the quality of the statement; negate the predicate
Which types of statements can be obverted?
A, I, E, and O
Tell how to convert a statement
Interchange the subject and the predicate
Which types of statements can be converted?
I and E
What is partial conversion and which type of statement is it used with?
Partial conversion is accomplished by interchanging the subject and predicate and changing the statement from universal to particular. It is the only way to “convert” an A statement.
Give the three-step method for contraposing a statement
obvert the statement.; convert the statement; obvert the statement again
Which types of statements can be contraposed
A and O
What is the definition of reasoning?
Reasoning is the act by which the mind acquires new knowledge by means of what it already knows.
What are the two kinds of reasoning?
Deductive reasoning; inductive reasoning
What is the definition of deductive inference?
deductive inference is the act by which the mind establishes a connection between the antecedent and the consequent
What is the definition of syllogism?
a syllogism is a group of propositions in orderly sequence, one of which (the consequent) is said to be necessarily inferred from the others (the antecedent).
What is the Essential Law of Argumentation?
If the antecedent is true, then the consequent must also be true.
What are the three terms contained in a syllogism?
Major term; Minor term; Middle term
In a syllogism, which premise is the major premise?
The major premise is the premise that contains the major term.
In a syllogism, which premise is the minor premise?
The minor premise is the premise that contains the minor term.
What is the Dictum de Omni?
What is affirmed universally of a certain term is affirmed of every term that comes under that term.
What is the Dictum de Nullo?
What is denied universally of a certain term is denied of every term that comes under that term.
