CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISM

Categorical Syllogism Is an oral or written discourse showing the agreement or disagreement

between two terms on the basis of their respective relation to a common third term.

Examples of Categorical Syllogism used in the Legal Context

1. Judicial power includes the power to determine whether or not there has
been a grave abuse of discretion on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
Government;
The Supreme Court is granted judicial power.
Therefore, the Supreme Court has the power to determine whether or not there has
been a grave abuse of discretion on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
Government.

2. A person may change his given name if he can show reasonable or compelling
reason for such change or that the use of his given name causes him prejudice.
He failed to show any reasonable or compelling reason for the change of his given
name, and neither did he show any prejudice in using such given name.
Therefore, he cannot be allowed to change his given name. (Silverio vs. Republic)

Syllogism versus Categorical Syllogism

Syllogism is a deductive argument that has exactly two premises and a conclusion. It is a
kind of logical argument in which one proposition (the conclusion) is inferred from two or more
others (the premises) of a certain form, whereas, Categorical syllogism is constructed entirely out
of categorical propositions. It contains three different terms, each of which is used two times. It
is a piece of deductive, mediate inference which consists of three categorical propositions, the
first two which are premises and the third is the conclusion.

Structure of Categorical Syllogism

THREE PROPOSITIONS THREE TERMS
Major Premise Major Term (P)
Minor Premise Minor Term (S)
Conclusion Middle Term (M)

MAJOR PREMISE is the premise that contains the major term or it is the first proposition.

MINOR PREMISES are the premises that contain the minor term or it is the second proposition
and is preceded by the conjunction.

CONCLUSION is the last proposition that has been necessarily derived from the premises or it is
the third proposition.

MAJOR TERM is the predicate of the conclusion and is found in the premise. It must occur in
the conclusion and in one of the premises, especially in the major premise.

MINOR TERM is the subject of the conclusion and is found in minor premise, the minor
premise, which contains the minor term, is often introduced by the adversative conjunction aqua
(but) since in argumentation and debate it introduces a turn off though contrary to the
expectation of an opponent.

MIDDLE TERM is found in the two premises but not in the conclusion, or it is the bridge, the
connecting link, between the major and the minor terms.

Examples:

Possession of a Dangerous Drug is Mala Major Premise

Prohibita.
Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug. Minor Premise
Therefore, Possession of Marijuana is Mala Conclusion
Prohibita.

Philippine lawyers are members of the IBP. Major Premise

To be a member of the IBP, one must pass the Minor Premise
Bar, take the Oath, and sign the Roll of
Attorneys.
Thus, Philippines lawyers passed the Bar, took Conclusion
the Oath, and signed the Roll of Attorneys

CATEGORICAL PROPOSITIONS AND CLASSES

It is a kind of proposition that expresses an unconditional judgment. It is a proposition in which

the subject term is affirmed or denied by the predicate term.
Four Components

 Subject Term – the class, category or concept which the proposition is about.
 Predicate Term – the class, category or concept which is related by the proposition to
the subject term.
 Quality (Copula) – the relation of inclusion or exclusion is determined by the copula or
the copula plus a negative.
 Quantity – the proposition of the subject term about which the proposition makes a
claim.

Illustration:
“All members of the Community Development Society of the Philippines (CDSP)
are social development practitioners.”
Quantifier: “All”
Subject Term; “members of the CDSP”
Copula/Quality: “are”
Predicate Term: “Social Development practitioners”

Four Kinds of Categorical Proposition

A. Universal Affirmative
E. Universal Negative
I. Universal Particular
O. Particular Negative

Proposition Letter Name Quantity Quality

All S are P. A Universal Affirmative

No S are P. E Universal Negative
Some S are P. I Particular Affirmative
Some S are not P O Particular Negative

QUALITY of a categorical proposition indicates the nature of the relationship it affirms between
its subject and predicate terms:

It is an affirmative proposition if it states that the class designated by its subject term is
included, either as a whole or only in part, within the class designated by its predicate
term.

It is a negative proposition if it wholly or partially excludes members of the subject class

from the predicate class.
QUANTITY quantity of a categorical proposition, is a measure of the degree to which the
relationship between its subject and predicate terms holds:

It is a Universal proposition if the asserted inclusion or exclusion holds for every

member of the class designated by its subject term.

It is a Particular proposition if it merely asserts that the relationship holds for one or
more members of the subject class.