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Single Idea 12368

[from 'Posterior Analytics' by Aristotle, in 19. Language / F. Communication / 3. Denial ]

Full Idea

The part of a contradictory pair which says something of something is an affirmation; the part which takes something from something is a negation.

Gist of Idea

Negation takes something away from something

Source

Aristotle (Posterior Analytics [c.327 BCE], 72a14)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'Posterior Analytics (2nd ed)', ed/tr. Barnes,Jonathan [OUP 1993], p.3


A Reaction

So affirmation is predication about an object ['Fa'], and negation is denial of predication. We have a scope problem: there is nothing which is F [¬∃x(Fx)], or there is a thing which is not-F [∃x(¬Fx)]. Aristotle seems to mean the latter.