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Aristotle · Prior Analytics §1.1.25#2

Numerical Relations of Premises, Terms, and Conclusions

Passage 30 of 123 · Greek

Summary

The author demonstrates that every syllogism consists of three terms and two premises, and analyzes the mathematical and logical relationships among the numbers of premises, terms, and conclusions when middle terms are added.

§1.1.25#2εἰ δὲ μὴ γίνεται ἐκ τῶν Γ Δ μηδὲν συμπέρασμα, μάτην τε εἰλῆφθαι αὐτὰ συμβαίνει καὶ μὴ τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶναι τὸν συλλογισμόν.
And if no conclusion comes about from Γ, Δ, it happens that they have been assumed in vain, and that the syllogism is not of the original question.
ὥστε φανερὸν ὅτι πᾶσα ἀπόδειξις καὶ πᾶς συλλογισμὸς ἔσται διὰ τριῶν ὅρων μόνον.
Thus it is clear that every proof and every syllogism will be through three terms only.
Τούτου δʼ ὄντος φανεροῦ, δῆλον ὡς καὶ ἐκ δύο προτάσεων καὶ οὐ πλειόνων (οἱ γὰρ τρεῖς ὅροι δύο προτάσεις), εἰ μὴ προσλαμβάνοιτό τι, καθάπερ ἐν τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐλέχθη, πρὸς τὴν τελείωσιν τῶν συλλογισμῶν.
This being clear, it is evident that it is also from two premises and no more (for three terms are two premises), unless something is further assumed, as was said in the beginning, for the completion of the syllogisms.
φανερὸν οὖν ὡς ἐν ᾧ λόγῳ συλλογιστικῷ μὴ ἄρτιαί εἰσιν αἱ προτάσεις διʼ ὧν γίνεται τὸ συμπέρασμα τὸ κύριον (ἔνια γὰρ τῶν ἄνωθεν συμπερασμάτων ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι προτάσεις), οὗτος ὁ λόγος ἢ οὐ συλλελόγισται ἢ πλείω τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἠρώτηκε πρὸς τὴν θέσιν.
It is clear, therefore, that in whatever syllogistic argument the premises through which the main conclusion comes about are not even (for it is necessary that some of the conclusions from above be premises), this argument either has not been concluded, or has asked for more than what is necessary for the thesis.
Κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὰς κυρίας προτάσεις λαμβανομένων τῶν συλλογισμῶν, ἅπας ἔσται συλλογισμὸς ἐκ προτάσεων μὲν ἀρτίων ἐξ ὅρων δὲ περιττῶν· ἑνὶ γὰρ πλείους οἱ ὅροι τῶν προτάσεων.
When, therefore, the syllogisms are taken according to the main premises, every syllogism will be from even premises and odd terms; for the terms are more than the premises by one.
ἔσται δὲ καὶ τὰ συμπεράσματα ἡμίση τῶν προτάσεων.
And the conclusions will be half of the premises.
ὅταν δὲ διὰ προσυλλογισμῶν περαίνηται ἢ διὰ πλείονων μέσων συνεχῶν, οἷον τὸ Β διὰ τῶν Γ Δ, τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν ὅρων ὡσαύτως ἑνὶ ὑπερέξει τὰς προτάσεις (ἢ γὰρ ἔξωθεν ἢ εἰς τὸ μέσον τεθήσεται ὁ παρεμπίπτων ὅρος· ἀμφοτέρως δὲ συμβαίνει ἑνὶ ἐλάττω εἶναι τὰ διαστήματα τῶν ὅρων), αἱ δὲ προτάσεις ἴσαι τοῖς διαστήμασιν· οὐ μέντοι αἰεὶ αἱ μὲν ἄρτιαι ἔσονται οἱ δὲ περιττοί, ἀλλʼ ἐναλλάξ, ὅταν μὲν αἱ προτάσεις ἄρτιαι, περιττοὶ οἱ ὅροι, ὅταν δʼ οἱ ὅροι ἄρτιοι, περιτταὶ αἰ προτάσεις·
But when it is concluded through prosyllogisms or through several continuous middle terms, as for example B through Γ, Δ, the number of the terms will likewise exceed the premises by one (for the intervening term will be placed either outside or in the middle; in both ways it happens that the intervals of the terms are fewer by one), and the premises are equal to the intervals; yet the premises will not always be even and the terms odd, but they will alternate: when the premises are even, the terms are odd, and when the terms are even, the premises are odd.
ἅμα γὰρ τῷ ὅρῳ μία προστίθεται πρότασις, ἂν ὁποθενοῦν προστεθῇ ὁ ὅρος, ὥστʼ ἐπεὶ αἱ μὲν ἄρτιαι οἱ δὲ περιττοὶ ἦσαν, ἀνάγκη παραλλάττειν τῆς αὐτῆς προσθέσεως γινομένης.
For along with the term, one premise is added, if the term is added from anywhere, so that since the premises were even and the terms odd, it is necessary that they alternate when the same addition is made.
τὰ δὲ συμπεράσματα οὐκέτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἕξει τάξιν οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς ὅρους οὔτε πρὸς τὰς προτάσεις· ἑνὸς γὰρ ὅρου προστιθεμένου συμπεράσματα προστεθήσεται ἑνὶ ἐλάττω τῶν προϋπαρχόντων ὅρων· πρός μόνον γὰρ τὸν ἔσχατον οὐ ποιεῖ συμπέρασμα, πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους πάντας, οἷον εἰ τῷ Β Γ πρόσκειται τὸ Δ, εὐθὺς καὶ συμπεράσματα δύο πρόσκειται, τό τε πρός τὸ Α καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὸ Β. ὁμοίως δὲ κἀπὶ τῶν ἄλλων.
And the conclusions will no longer have the same order either to the terms or to the premises; for when one term is added, conclusions will be added fewer by one than the pre-existing terms; for in relation to only the last term it does not produce a conclusion, but in relation to all the others, as for example if Δ is added to B, Γ, immediately two conclusions also are added, the one in relation to A and the one in relation to B. And likewise also in the other cases.
κἂν εἰς τὸ μέσον δὲ παρεμπίπτῃ, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον· πρὸς ἕνα γὰρ μόνον οὐ ποιήσει συλλογισμόν.
And even if it is interpolated in the middle, in the same way; for in relation to only one term it will not produce a syllogism.
ὥστε πολὺ πλείω τὰ συμπεράσματα καὶ τῶν ὅρων ἔσται καὶ τῶν προτάσεων.
Thus the conclusions will be much more than both the terms and the premises.

Notes

  1. 25μὴ τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἶναι τὸν συλλογισμόν — τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς (the original question) is a genitive of possession or belonging. In this context, it refers to the original conclusion to be proved.
  2. 35ἔνια γὰρ τῶν ἄνωθεν συμπερασμάτων ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι προτάσεις — An accusative with infinitive construction governed by the impersonal adjective ἀναγκαῖον (with the omission of ἐστί). The phrase ἔνια τῶν ἄνωθεν συμπερασμάτων is the subject (accusative) of the infinitive εἶναι, and προτάσεις is the complement (accusative).
  3. 15τῆς αὐτῆς προσθέσεως γινομένης — A genitive absolute construction with the present participle γινομένης, expressing a condition or time ('if the same addition is made' or 'when the same addition is made').
  4. 18ἑνὶ ἐλάττω τῶν προϋπαρχόντων ὅρων — ἐλάττω is the contracted form of the comparative ἐλάττονα. τῶν προϋπαρχόντων ὅρων is a genitive of comparison ('than the pre-existing terms'), and the dative ἑνὶ expresses the degree of difference ('by one').

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Prior Analytics §1.1.25#2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.1.25%232

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