Categorical

syllogism
6.1 Standard-Form Categorical
Syllogisms

Arguments that rely on A,E,I and O

propositions commonly have two
categorical propositions as
premises and one categorical
proposition as conclusion.
 SYLLOGISMS
A deductive argument in which a
conclusion is inferred from two
premises.
 CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISM
A deductive argument consisting of
three categorical propositions that
together contain exactly three terms,
each of which occurs in exactly two
of the constituent propositions.
No heroes are cowards
Some soldiers are cowards
Therefore some soldiers are note heroes
A Categorical Syllogism is said to be
in a standard form when;

1) its premises and its conclusion

are all standard-form categorical
propositions (A, E, I or O)

2) those proposition is arrange in

a specific standard order.
A. Terms of the Syllogism: Major, Minor,
and Middle

MAJOR TERM
- Predicate term of conclusion

MINOR TERM
- Subject term of conclusion

MIDDLE TERM
- term that appears in both premises
but not in conclusion
 Premises of Syllogism

MAJOR PREMISE
- premise containing the major term

MINOR PREMISE
- premise containing the minor term
In a standard-form of syllogism, the
major premise is always stated first,
the minor premise second, and the
conclusion last.
 B. The Mood of the Syllogism
Determined by the types ( A, E, I, O)
*represented by three letters

First letter – names the type of that

syllogism’s major premise

Second letter – names the type of

syllogism’s minor premise

Third letter – names the type of its

conclusion
 C. The figure of the Syllogism

All great scientists are college graduates.

Some professional athletes are college graduates.

Therefore some professional athletes are great scientists.

FIGURE the position of the
middle term in its premise.
Syllogisms can have four possible different
figures:

1. The middle term may be the subject term

of the major premise and the predicate
term of the minor premise

2. The middle term may be the predicate term

of both premise

3. The middle term may be the subject term

of both premise

4. The middle term may be the predicate term

of the major premise and the subject term
of the minor premise.
M P P M M P P M
S M S M M S M S
S P S P S P S P
there are 64 moods and four figures,
64 x 4 = 256 (possible categorical
syllogisms)
7.2 The Formal Nature of Syllogistic
Argument

In all deductive logic we aim to

discriminate valid arguments from
invalid ones; in a classical logic
this becomes the task of
discriminating valid syllogisms from
invalid ones.
 It is assumed that the constituent
propositions of a syllogism are all
contingent; that is no one of those
propositions is necessarily true, or
necessarily false.
All M is P
All S is M
Therefore All S is P
A valid syllogism is formally a valid
argument, valid by virtue of its own
form alone.

Thus, if a given syllogism is valid,

any other syllogism of the same form
will also be valid.
It is attested to by the frequent use
of “logical analogies” in
argumentation.
The best way of exposing the
fallacious character of an
argument is to construct another
argument having exactly the same
form and but whose invalidity
was immediately apparent.
And an excellent method of arguing;
the logical analogy is one of the
most powerful weapons that can be
used in a debate.