ARISTOTLE - METHOD

<BODY> <CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>ARISTOTLE</FONT><BR> THE REALIST</B></FONT></CENTER><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Method</B></FONT><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>LOGICAL ARGUMENT</B></FONT><BR> Where Plato relied entirely on <A HREF="../t03/g009.html" TARGET="_top">dialectic</A> and made great use of myth and allegory in his argument, Aristotle systematised the various forms of argument which could be used to analyse and confirm propositions. He was the first to develop <A HREF="../t03/g027.html" TARGET="_top">logic</A>. This is a formal system of argument concerned with the structure of statements and arguments rather than their contents. Aristotle explained such concepts as Proposition and Inference and outlined the form of argument known as Syllogism.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>SYLLOGISM</B></FONT><BR> This is a simple form of formal argument that goes from two premisses (each with a subject and predicate) to a conclusion:<P> <CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=2 CELLPADDING=1> <TR> <TD><CENTER>If all M are P<BR> and all S are M<BR> therefore all S are P.</CENTER> </TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER><P> The first two are individual premisses with P as the middle term which links the two premisses but does not appear in the conclusion.<BR> The Premisses maybe universal or particular (concerning all or some) affirmative or negative ( S is or is not described by P).<BR> By varying position of the terms and the forms of the proposition, we obtain 256 possible patterns in 4 figures. Of these syllogisms, only 19 are valid - those that fulfill certain certain conditions on terms and forms. In medieval times, the valid syllogisms were categorised and summarised.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>ARISTOTLE"S LOGIC</B></FONT><BR> <B>Topics and Sophistical Refutations</B><BR> "Dialectic is most successful when it follows formulated rules. Dialectic aims at ensuring premises are plausible and arguments valid, but does not result in incontestably true conclusions."<BR> <B>Posterior Analytics</B><BR> "All scientific truths are necessarily and universally true and deal with the general not the particular. Human knowledge of these scientific truths is based on repeated sense experiences which reason allows a universal to form in the mind."<BR> <B>Prior Analytics</B><BR> "Confirmation of scientific truths requires the use of incontestable forms of argument. A small class of logically valid arguments, the categorical syllogisms, can be used to confirm the truth of scientific propositions." <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>