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80
ARISTOTLE'S ORGANON.
[BOOK I.
1. Purport of this treatise—the attainment of demonstrative science.It is first requisite to say what is the subject, concerning which, and why, the present treatise is undertaken, namely, that it is concerning demonstration, and for the sake of demonstrative science; we must afterwards define, what is a proposition, what a term, and what a syllogism, also what kind of syllogism is perfect, and what imperfect; lastly, what it is for a thing to be, or not to be, in a certain whole, and what we say it is to be predicated of every thing, or of nothing (of a class).
2. Definition of (πρότασις) proposition. It is either,1. καθόλου, universal,
2. ἐνμέρει, particular,
3. or ἀδιόριστον, indefinite. A proposition then is a sentence which affirms or denies something of something,[2] and this is universal, or particular, or indefinite; I denominate universal, the being present[3] with all or none; particular, the being present with something, or not with something, or not with every thing; but the indefinite the being present or not being present, without the universal or particular (sign); as for example, that there is the same science of contraries, or that
- ↑ Aristotle herein analyzes syllogism and demonstration into their principles; the names Prior and Posterior were given to these treatises in the time of Galen, but it is remarkable, that when Aristotle cites them, he denominates the former, "Concerning Syllogism", and the latter "Concerning Demonstration." Upon the subject of the title, compare St. Hilaire, Mémoire, vol. i. p. 42, with Waitz, vol. 1. p. 367; and for general elucidation of the treatise itself, much information has been derived from the valuable commentary of Pacius.
- ↑ Oratio indicativa, etc., Aldritch, "Oratio enunciativa," Boethius. The latter's definition is the better.
- ↑ The word ὑπάρχειν, inesse, has been given ample scope for the exercise of logical contention: Taylor objectst to translating it, the being inherent, and points out an anomaly arising fro Pacius' use of it in this way, in the next chapter. He asserts that the real Aristolelian sense is "being present with." For the account of this word, see note, p 53.
