Table of Contents

A Note to the Teacher................................................................................................ v

Further Study of Simple Syllogisms
Chapter 1: Figure in Syllogisms................................................................................................ 1
Chapter 2: Mood in Syllogisms.................................................................................................. 5
Chapter 3: Reducing Syllogisms to the First Figure................................................................ 11
Chapter 4: Indirect Reduction of Syllogisms........................................................................... 19

Arguments in Ordinary Language

Chapter 5: Translating Ordinary Sentences into Logical Statements...................................... 25
Chapter 6: Enthymemes.......................................................................................................... 33
Hypothetical Syllogisms
Chapter 7: Conditional Syllogisms.......................................................................................... 39
Chapter 8: Disjunctive Syllogisms .......................................................................................... 49
Chapter 9: Conjunctive Syllogisms.......................................................................................... 57
Complex Syllogisms
Chapter 10: Polysyllogisms & Aristotelian Sorites................................................................... 63
Chapter 11: Goclenian & Conditional Sorites.......................................................................... 69
Chapter 12: Epicheirema......................................................................................................... 75
Chapter 13: The Dilemma....................................................................................................... 81
The Logic of Relations
Chapter 14: The Oblique Syllogism......................................................................................... 91

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 Chapter 1

“Logic is the anatomy of thought.”

—John Locke

Figure in Syllogisms

Introduction. Now that we have mastered the rules

of validity for categorical syllogisms, we turn to figures and moods. The figure of
Categorizing syllogisms according to figure and mood will deepen a syllogism is
our understanding of the syllogism and give us a shortcut in the disposition
determining validity. (or location)
The figure of the syllogism can be defined as follows: of terms in the
The figure of a syllogism is the disposition (or location) of terms in premises.
the premises.
The figure of a syllogism is determined by the position of the
middle term. There are four figures in all.

Review of Terms. In order to properly understand

syllogistic figures, we must remember the terms in a syllogism and
the letters that designate them. We must remember that the letter P
designates the major term (which is the predicate of the conclusion).
The letter S designates the minor term (which is the subject of the
conclusion); and the letter M designates the middle term (which is
the term that appears in both premises, but not in the conclusion).
We must also remember that the premise that contains the major
term (which we call the major premise) always comes first. Thus, a
typical syllogism might look like this:
All M is P
All S is M
Therefore, all S is P
The location of M (the middle term) in each premise will tell us
what figure the syllogism is in.
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 Chapter 1

The First Figure. In a syllogism of the First Figure,

the middle term is the subject in the major premise and the
predicate in the minor premise. We call this figure sub-prae, which
is short for subjectum-praedicatum, which is Latin for subject-
predicate, the subject being the place of the middle term in the
major premise and predicate being the place of the middle term
in the minor premise.
An example of a sub-prae or First Figure syllogism would be:
All human beingsM are mortalP
All boysS are human beingsM
Therefore, all boysS are mortalP
We must Sub-prae You can see that the middle term is the subject
also remember in the major premise and the predicate in the
that the major M P
minor premise. Therefore, this syllogism is
premise is S M
sub-prae.
always put first S P
in a syllogism.
The Second Figure. In a syllogism of the Second
Figure, the middle term is the predicate in the major premise and
the predicate in the minor premise.
We term this figure prae-prae, which is short for praedicatum-
praedicatum, which is Latin for predicate-predicate, the predicate
being the place of the middle term in both premises.
An example of a prae-prae or Second Figure syllogism
would be:
All menP are mortalM
No angelsS are mortalM
Therefore, no angelsS are menP
Prae-prae You can see that the middle term is the
P M predicate in both the major and minor premises
of this argument. Therefore, this syllogism is
S M
prae-prae.
S P

The Third Figure. In a syllogism of the Third Figure,

the middle term is the subject in the major premise and also the
subject in the minor premise.
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 Chapter 1

We term this figure sub-sub, which is short for subjectum-

subjectum, the subject being the place of the middle term in
both premises.
An example of a sub-sub or Third Figure syllogism would be:
All human beingsM are mortalP
Some human beingsM are boysS
Therefore, some boysS are mortalP
Sub-sub Here, the middle term is the subject in both the
M P major and minor premises of the argument.
Therefore, this syllogism is sub-sub.
M S
S P

The Fourth Figure (Indirect First). There is also

what some have called a Fourth Figure. However, Fourth Figure
syllogisms are actually just another form of the First. They are what
we will call the Indirect First.
In a Fourth Figure syllogism, the middle term is the predicate
in the major premise and the subject in the minor premise. In other
words, a prae-sub. We say it is not a figure in and of itself but only
a form of the First because the only difference between it and the
First is in the grammar of the syllogism; the arrangement of the
words only makes it look different, but logically it is the same.
An example of the Fourth Figure would be: W hile Galen
All Romans are men
P M and many
All menM are mortalS modern logicians
Therefore, some mortalsS are RomansP think the Fourth
Figure is distinct
Prae-sub As you can see, the middle term (men) is the
from the First,
P M predicate in the major premise and the subject Aristotle and all
in the minor premise.
M S the rest of the
This Fourth Figure is sometimes called the
S P Galenic figure because it was Claudius Galen, ancient logicians
who lived from A.D. 131 to about A.D. 200, who first considered that thought it was
it was a separate figure. Galen was considered the chief authority only another
on medicine for over a thousand years. But while Galen and many form of the First.
modern logicians think the Fourth Figure is distinct from the First,

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 Chapter 1

Aristotle and all the rest of the ancient logicians thought it was only
another form of the First.
We will side with the ancients and concentrate primarily on the
first three figures. However, we do encounter syllogisms in this form,
so we need to be prepared to handle them.

How to Remember the Figures. There are many

Latin sayings that logicians in the Middle Ages invented to help us
remember certain things in logic. The Latin saying that helps us
remember figures goes like this:
Sub-prae prima, bis prae secunda, tertia sub bis.
It means, sub-prae first, prae twice second, sub twice third.
We identify In other words, sub-prae is the First Figure, prae-prae (prae
the figures twice) is the Second, and sub-sub (sub twice) is the Third. By
according to the memorizing this saying, you will be able to remember where the
location of the middle term is in each of the three figures.
middle term.
Summary. This chapter concerns the figure of
syllogisms. The figure of a syllogism is defined as the disposition of
terms in the premises. The terms in a syllogism can be arranged
in one of three (some would say four) different ways. We identify the
figures according to the location of the middle term.
A syllogism in which the middle term is the subject in the major
premise and the predicate in the minor premise is called a sub-
prae or First Figure syllogism. A syllogism in which the middle
term is the predicate in the major premise and the predicate in the
minor premise is called a prae-prae or Second Figure syllogism.
A syllogism in which the middle term is the subject in the major
premise and the subject in the minor premise is called a sub-sub
or Third Figure syllogism.
There is also an Indirect First Figure, which some logicians
have considered to be another figure altogether—a Fourth Figure
syllogism. Its middle term appears in the predicate of the major
premise and in the subject of the minor premise, making it a prae-
sub. But it only looks like a different figure and is really just a form
of the First.

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 Chapter 2

“Logic takes care of itself; all we have to do

is to look and see how it does it.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein

Mood in Syllogisms

Introduction. In the last chapter, we discussed the

four ways a syllogism can be formed according to the disposition
of terms. These four ways we called a syllogism’s figure. In this
chapter, we will talk about mood.
We defined figure as the disposition (or location) of terms
in a syllogism—In other words, how the terms are arrayed in the
syllogism. Mood is defined as follows: The mood of
Mood is the disposition of the premises according to quantity and quality.
a syllogism is
the disposition
For example, we say that a syllogism has the mood AA when of the premises
the first (or major) premise is an A statement and the second (or according to
minor) premise is also an A statement. Again we say that a syllogism quantity and
has the mood EA when the first premise is an E statement and the quality.
second premise is an A statement.
Look at the following syllogism:
All mortals must die
All men are mortal
Therefore, all men must die
In what mood is this syllogism? We see that the first premise is
an A statement, and the second is an A statement. Therefore, the
mood of the syllogism is AA.
Let’s take another example:
No men are immortal
All angels are immortal
Therefore, no angels are men

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 Chapter 2

What mood is this syllogism in? We see that the first premise is
an E statement. The second is an A statement. Therefore, the mood
of the syllogism is EA.
Since there are four different kinds of statements (A, E, I, and
O), they can be combined into 16 different moods (4 x 4) as follows:

MAJOR
A E I O

A AA EA IA OA

E AE EE IE OE
MINOR
I AI EI II OI

O AO EO IO OO

Be careful that Be careful that your premises are in the proper place—major
your premises premise first and minor premise second. If they are not in the proper
are in the order, you can easily misidentify the mood of a syllogism.
proper place—
major premise Figure and Mood. Furthermore, each of these sixteen
first and minor moods can be found in each of the four figures. In other words, a
premise second. syllogism in the First Figure can be in the mood AA, AE, AI, AO,
If they are not in EA, EO, etc. This means that there are a total of 64 different kinds
the proper of syllogisms according to mood and figure (16 moods x 4 figures).
order, you But although there are 64 different kinds of syllogisms, not all of
can easily them are valid. In some cases, whole moods are invalid. For example,
misidentify the EE syllogisms, whether they are in the First, Second, Third, or
mood of Fourth Figure are invalid. Why? Remember Rule V in Chapter 13
a syllogism. of Book I? It said that no conclusion can follow from two negative
premises. E is a negative statement; therefore, a syllogism in which
both premises are E statements cannot be valid.
The same goes for syllogisms in mood OO, since O statements
are also negative. In fact, if we constructed syllogisms in all 64 of
the possible combinations, and applied the seven rules we learned
in Book I, we would find that only 19 of them are valid.
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 Chapter 2

William of Shyreswood, a medieval philosopher, came up with

names to help remember these syllogisms and put them into a
mnemonic verse. You will need to memorize these lines in order to
know how to do some logical operations in later chapters. The lines are
as follows:
BARBARA, CELARENT, DARII, FERIO que prioris;
CESARE, CAMESTRES, FESTINO, BAROCO secundae;
tertia; DARAPTI, DISAMIS, DATISI, FELAPTON, BOCARDO,
FERISON habet; quarta insuper addit;
BRAMANTIP, CAMENES, DIMARIS, FESAPO, FRESISON.

Note that FERIOque is Latin for “and FERIO,” and that the que
attached on the end is not really a part of the word.
Both the vowels and the consonants in these names represent
important things about each syllogism. Let us content ourselves in
this chapter to discuss what is indicated by the vowels.
We label a syllogism BARBARA if the first premise is an A
statement (the first A in BARBARA), and the second premise is an
A statement (the second A in BARBARA). The last vowel stands for
the conclusion (the last A in BARBARA).
Remember that the first vowel always indicates the first (or major)
premise; the second always indicates the second (or minor) premise;
and the final vowel always indicates the conclusion.
What the above lines mean is that BARBARA, CELARENT,
DARII, and FERIO are the four valid moods in the First Figure
(prioris means of the first in Latin). CESARE, CAMESTRES,
FESTINO, and BAROCO are the valid moods in the Second Figure
(secundae means of the second in Latin); DARAPTI, DISAMIS,
DATISI, FELAPTON, BOCARDO, and FERISON are the valid
moods of the Third Figure (tertia means third in Latin); and
BRAMANTIP, CAMENES, DIMARIS, FESAPO, and FRESISON
are the valid moods in the Fourth Figure (quarta means fourth in Of the 19 valid
Latin). This makes 19 in all. syllogisms, only
Of these 19, however, only about five are commonly encountered five are
in actual argument. We will be discussing all 19 of these arguments commonly
in later chapters, but for now, let’s take a look at the five common used in actual
valid syllogisms. argument.

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 Chapter 2

How to Use the Mnemonic. The mnemonic

When we are (BARBARA, CELARENT, DARII, etc.) gives us a much quicker way
presented an to determine the validity of a syllogism than using the seven rules
argument, we for validity. When we are presented with an argument, we simply
simply put it in put it in the form of a syllogism and see if it is one of the syllogisms
the form of a in the mnemonic. If it is, then it is valid; if it is not, then it is invalid.
syllogism and There are three steps involved:
see if it is one of Step #1: Determine the figure.
the syllogisms in Step #2: Determine the mood.
the mnemonic. Step #3: Determine whether the mood is included in the mnemonic verse.

Five Common Syllogisms. The following are the five

most commonly encountered syllogisms:
BARBARA
CELARENT
CESARE
CAMESTRES
CAMENES
An example of BARBARA (which is sub-prae or First Figure)
would be:
All flowers are plants (A)
All roses are flowers (A)
Therefore, all roses are plants (A)
An example of CELARENT (First Figure) would be:
No flowers are trees (E)
All roses are flowers (A)
Therefore, no roses are trees (E)
An example of CESARE (a Second Figure or prae- prae
syllogism) would be:
No trees are flowers (E)
All roses are flowers (A)
Therefore, no roses are trees (E)
An example of CAMESTRES (Second Figure) would be:
All roses are flowers (A)
No trees are flowers (E)
Therefore, no trees are roses (E)

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 Chapter 2

An example of CAMENES (a Fourth Figure or prae-sub

syllogism) would be:
All roses are flowers (A)
No flowers are trees (E)
Therefore, no trees are roses (E)
Note also that the final letter is important in determining the
syllogism’s validity, although it does not determine the mood.

Summary. This chapter concerns the mood of

syllogisms. The mood of a syllogism is defined as the disposition
of the premises according to quantity and quality. There are
16 moods per figure. Since there are four figures, that means there
are 64 moods in all. Of these moods, only 19 are valid.
William of Shyreswood came up with names to help remember
the valid syllogisms in a mnemonic verse. The verse is as follows:
BARBARA, CELARENT, DARII, FERIO que prioris;
CESARE, CAMESTRES, FESTINO, BAROCO secundae;
tertia; DARAPTI, DISAMIS, DATISI, FELAPTON, BOCARDO,
FERISON habet; quarta insuper addit;
BRAMANTIP, CAMENES, DIMARIS, FESAPO, FRESISON.

The vowels in each of these names indicate the mood of the

syllogism by indicating whether each proposition in the syllogism
is an A, I, E, or O statement.
Of the 19 valid syllogisms, only five are commonly encountered
in actual argument. The five common syllogisms are as follows:
BARBARA
CELARENT
CESARE
CAMESTRES
CAMENES