“Teach a child WHAT to THINK and you make him a slave of knowledge;

But, teach a child HOW to THINK and you make knowledge his slave.”

LOGIC
Module 4: Immediate Inference

Prepared by Mr. Roland

Lorenzo M. Ruben
Philosophy section, SSD
Logical Opposition – a repugnance of
relation existing between a pair of
propositions which have the same
subject and predicate but they differ
either in quality, quantity or both in
quantity and in quality. SQUARE OF
OPPOSITIONS
In this operation, we keep the same
subject and predicate; we assert a
different relationship between them
according to quantity and quality.
 LOGICAL OPPOSITION OF CATEGORICAL
PROPOSITIONS

 A,E,I,O propositions have the same subject and predicate terms but may
differ from each other either in quality, or in quantity, or both in quality
and in quantity.
 Due to their different properties, there arises opposition of propositions.
To oppose propositions is to affirm and deny the same predicate of the
same subject.
 With regard to these propositions, there are four types of opposition:
1. Contradiction
2. Contrariety
3. Subcontrariety
4. Subaltern
 1. CONTRADICTION
 A relation existing between a pair of propositions having the
same subject and predicate terms but differs in both quantity
and in quality.
 It is clear from such relation that one proposition is a denial
of the other, so that they cannot be both true and cannot be
both false.

RULES:
1. Contradictories can
never be true
together.
2. Contradictories can
never be false
together.
 2. CONTRARIETY
 A relation existing between two universal propositions
having the same subject and predicate but they differ
only in quality.
 This implies that contraries cannot be true together =
the truth of one entails the falsity of another; however,
the falsity of one entails the falsity of another.
RULES:
1. Contraries can never
be true together.
2. Contraries can be
false together (if one
is false, the other is
doubtful.)
 3. SUBCONTRARIETY
 Is a relation between two particular propositions
having the same subject and predicate terms but they
differ only in quality.
 Unlike contraries, subcontraries are less extremely
opposed since they are both particular, so that they
cannot be both false though they might be both true.

RULES:
1. They can never be false together.
2. They can be both true (if one is
true, the other is doubtful).
4. SUBALTERNATION
 A relation between two propositions which have the
same subject and predicate terms and quality, but they
differ only in quantity.
 Since subalterns differ only in quantity, they assert the
same truth as their universals, because what is
asserted universally of a class applies also to all
members of that class. On the other hand, a predicate
applied only to a part of a class does not necessarily
extend to the rest of the class.
 It is not really an opposition because there is no
disagreement between the propositions.

RULES:
1. If the universal is true, the particular is true.
2. If the universal is false, the particular is doubtful.
3. If the particular is true, the universal is doubtful.
4. If the particular is false, the universal is false.
 Truth Values
1. If A is true E is false. 5. If A is false O is true.
I is true. E is doubtful.
O is false. I is doubtful.

2. If E is true A is false. 6. If E is false I is true.

I is false. A is doubtful.
O is true. O is doubtful.

3. If I is true E is false. 7. If I is false A is false.

A is doubtful. E is true.
O is doubtful. O is true.

4. If O is true A is false. 8. If O is false A is true.

E is doubtful E is false.
I is doubtful I is true.
 Summary chart in determining the
truth or falsity of the logical
opposition of A,E,I,O
A E I O

T F T F T F T F

A F D D F F T

E F D F T D F

I T D F T D T

O F T T D D T
 LOGIC
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Module 4: Immediate Inference