Single Idea 8071

[catalogued under 4. Formal Logic / A. Syllogistic Logic / 1. Aristotelian Logic]

Full Idea

Aristotle listed a total of nineteen syllogisms involved in logical reasoning, though some of the ones on his list were subsequently shown to be invalid.

Gist of Idea

Aristotle listed nineteen valid syllogisms (though a few of them were wrong)

Source

report of Aristotle (Prior Analytics [c.328 BCE], Ch.1) by Keith Devlin - Goodbye Descartes

Book Reference

Devlin,Keith: 'Goodbye Descartes: the end of logic' [Wiley 1997], p.3


A Reaction

It is quite upsetting to think that the founding genius got some of it wrong, but that just shows how subtle and complex the analysis of rational thought can be.