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Four+Kinds+of+Categorical+Propositions PDF
Four+Kinds+of+Categorical+Propositions PDF
Four+Kinds+of+Categorical+Propositions PDF
Taking into account both the quality and quantity of the proposition at the
same time results to four kinds of categorical proposition. These are the (1)
universal/singular affirmative; (2) universal/singular negative; (3)
particular affirmative; and (4) particular negative. Since the early Middle
Ages these four kinds of categorical proposition have commonly been
designated by letter symbols corresponding to the first four vowels of the
Roman alphabet: A, E, I, O. Symbol A stands for the universal/singular
affirmative proposition, E for the universal/singular negative proposition, I for
the particular affirmative proposition, and O for the particular negative
proposition. The four letters were said to have been derived from the first two
vowels in the Latin word affirmo (“I affirm”) and nego (“I deny), thus:
n
Universal A E
f
f g
Particular I O
r
m
o
Using the letter symbols, four types of the categorical proposition can be
diagrammed as follows:
QUALITY
QUANTITY
Affirmative Negative
Universal/Singular A E
Particular I O