Task 7 - Categorical Propositions - chapter 4 Flashcards
Proposition
a sentence that is either true or false
Categorical proposition
a proposition that relates two classes, or categories
- the classes in question are denoted respectively by the subject term and the predicate term
Standard-form categorical proposition
A categorical proposition that expresses there relations with complete clarity
Quantifiers
words such as "all", "no" and "some" - they specify how much of the subject class is included in or excluded from the predicate class
Copula
the words “are” and “are not”
- they link the subject term with the predicate term
Proposition
All S are P
Every member of the S class is a member of the P class; that is, the S class is included in the P class
Proposition
No S are P
No member of the S class is a member of the P class; that is, the S class is excluded from the P class
Proposition
Some S are P
At least one member of the S class is a member of the P class
Proposition
Some S are not P
At least one member of the S class is not a member of the P class
Attributes of categorical propositions
Quality and quantity
Quality
it is either affirmative or negative depending on whether it affirms of denies class membership
- affirmative and negative propositions
Quantity
it is either universal or particular, depending on whether the statement makes a claim about every member or just some member of the class denoted by the subject term
- Universal Propositions
“all S are P” and “No S are P” - Particular Propositions
“some S are P” and “some S are not P”
the universal affirmative
A proposition (“All S are P”)
the universal negative
E proposition (“No S are P”)
particular affirmative
I proposition (“Some S are P”)
particular negative
O proposition (“Some S are not P”)
Distribution
attribute of the terms (subject and predicate) of propositions
- (A and E)
- A term is said to be distributed if the proposition makes an assertion about every member of the class denoted by the term
Distribution for A, E, I, O
- For any A proposition, the subject term is distributed and the predicate term is undistributed.
- For any E proposition both the subject term and the predicate term are distributed.
- For any I proposition neither the subject term nor the predicate term are distributed.
- For any O proposition the predicate is distributed and the subject is undistributed
If term distributed in a proposition
it simply means that the proposition says something about every member of the class that the term denotes
If a term is undistributed,
the proposition does not say something about every member of the class
Aristotelian standpoint
existential import
- a statement has this when the subject terms donate actually existing things
Boolean standpoint
“closed” to existence
- when things exist the boolean standpoint does not recognise their existence, and universal statements about those things have no existential import
Modern square of opposition
it arises from the modern (or Boolean) interpretation of categorical propositions
Contradictory relation
if two propositions are related through this, they necessarily have opposite truth value