Categorical Syllogism

Review of Categorical Propositions

What is a Categorical Syllogism?
• Syllogism is a deductive argument that has Two Premises and a
Conclusion.
• Categorical Syllogism is a deductive argument that has two
Categorical Propositions as a premises and One Categorical
Proposition as a Conclusion.
• For Example
All Haileians are Punjabians
All Commerce Students are Haileians
Therefore, All Commerce Students are Punjabians
 Rules of constructing Categorical Syllogism
1. Syllogism consists of exactly Three Categorical Propositions, among two are
premises and one is conclusion.
2. Composition of syllogism is any combination from A, E, I and O Categorical
Propositions.
3. Syllogism contains exactly three terms that occurs twice. These Terms are the
Major Term, Minor Term and a Middle Term.
4. Major term is the PREDICATE term, Minor Term is the SUBJECT Term, where as
Middle term is present in both the premises.
5. First Premise of a syllogism is known as the Major Premise that contains the
Major term and the Middle Term.
6. Second Premise is known as the Minor Premise and it contains the Minor
Premise and the Middle Term.
7. Conclusion contains the Subject Term followed by the Predicate Term
Constructing Syllogism
Major Premise : All Haileians are Punjabians
Minor Premise : All Commerce Students are Haileians
Conclusion : All Commerce Students are Punjabians

Middle Term : Haileians

Predicate Term : Punjabians
Subject Term : Commerce Students
Examples Rules

It contains exactly three

terms that occur twice.
No heroes are cowards. First Premise is the major
premise that contains a
Some soldiers are cowards. predicate term and a
Some soldiers are not heroes. middle term

Second Premise is a
minor premise that
All great scientists are college graduates. contains a subject term
and a middle term.
Some professional athletes are college graduates
Conclusion contains a
Some professional athletes are great scientists. subject term followed by
a predicate term
Example
Major premise : All rectangles are things with 4 sides
Minor premise : All squares are rectangles
Conclusion All squares are things with 4 sides
 Standard Logical Form
Mood and Figures of a Categorical Syllogism
Logical Form of a Categorical Syllogism
• The LOGICAL FORM is the structure of the categorical syllogism as
indicated by its “figure” and “mood.”
• MOOD is the arrangement of the propositions by quantity and
quality.
• Figure is the arrangement of the terms (major, minor, and middle) of
the argument.
Mood of a Categorical Syllogism
• Every syllogism has a mood.
• Mood of a categorical Syllogism describe the types of Categorical
Proposition present in a syllogism.
• The mood of a syllogism is determined by the types (A, E, I, or O) of
standard-form categorical propositions it contains.
• The mood of the syllogism is therefore represented by three letters, and
those three letters are always given in standard-form order.
• That is, the first letter names the type of the syllogism’s major premise;
• the second letter names the type of the syllogism’s minor premise;
• the third letter names the type of the syllogism’s conclusion.
Mood of a Categorical Syllogism
• For Example
No heroes are cowards (E)
Some soldiers are cowards ( I)
Some soldiers are not heroes (O)
• Major Premise is E (No heroes are cowards)
• Minor Premise is I (Some soldiers are cowards)
• Conclusion is O (Some soldiers are not heroes)
• The Mood of this syllogism is E I O.
Mood of a Categorical Syllogism

Major Premise : All Haileians are Punjabians

Minor Premise : All Commerce Students are Haileians
Conclusion : All Commerce Students are Punjabians
Mood is AAA

Major premise : All rectangles are things with 4 sides

Minor premise : NO squares are rectangles
Conclusion All squares are things with 4 sides

Mood is AEA
Mood of a Categorical Syllogism
All great scientists are college graduates.
Some professional athletes are college graduates
Some professional athletes are great scientists.

Mood is AII
Figure of a Syllogism
• Mood of a syllogism does not describe the syllogism.
• It tells only what is the type of Categorical Propositions are present
and their Placement in a syllogism.
• But What about the Position of Subject, Predicate and Middle term in
a Syllogism.
 Consider the Following Scenario

All Haileians are Punjabians All Haileians are Punjabians

All Commerce Students are Haileians All Haileians are Commerce Students
All Commerce Students are Punjabians All Commerce Students are Punjabians

All Punjabians are Haileians All Punjabians are Haileians

All Commerce Students are Haileians All Haileians are Commerce Students
All Commerce Students are Punjabians All Commerce Students are Punjabians

These are four different Categorical Syllogisms and All have Same
Mood that is AAA.
It dose not state the positions of Subject, Predicate and Middle Term is a Syllogism
Four Figures that represents the Positioning of the Subject,
Predicate and The Middle Term

M is P P is M M is P P is M
S is M S is M M is S M is S
S is P S is P S is P S is P

(Figure 1) (Figure 2) (Figure 3) (Figure 4)

All Haileians are Punjabians All Punjabians are Haileians
All Commerce Students are Haileians All Commerce Students are Haileians
All Commerce Students are Punjabians All Commerce Students are Punjabians

M is P P is M
S is M The Mood of the Syllogism is AAA S is M The Mood of the Syllogism is AAA
and the Figure is 2 or we can write it
S is P and the Figure is 1 or we can write it
as AAA-1
S is P as AAA-2

(Figure 1) (Figure 2)
All Haileians are Punjabians All Punjabians are Haileians
All Haileians are Commerce Students All Haileians are Commerce Students
All Commerce Students are Punjabians All Commerce Students are Punjabians

M is P P is M
M is S The Mood of the Syllogism is AAA M is S The Mood of the Syllogism is AAA
S is P and the Figure is 3 or we can write it
as AAA-3
S is P and the Figure is 4 or we can write it
as AAA-4

(Figure 3) (Figure 4)
 Tip to Memorize Four Figures
Look and Positioning of Middle Term, Draw a line along Middle
Term and you will get a figure something like

W
M is P P is M M is P P is M
S is M S is M M is S M is S
S is P S is P S is P S is P

(Figure 1) (Figure 2) (Figure 3) (Figure 4)

Fig 1 Fig 2 Fig 3 Fig 4

Converting a Syllogism into Standard Form (Logical Form)
and identify its Mood and Figure
Steps to Convert a Syllogism in Standard
Form
• Read the Syllogism carefully.
• Identify the Conclusion and Premise.
• Once the Conclusion is identified. Subject Term and the Predicate Term will be
identified. As we already knew
• In Conclusion Subject Term comes first Followed by the Predicate Term.
• The third term will be the Middle term.
• Predicate term is present in the Major Premise so it will be identified.
• Subject Term is present in the Minor Premise so it will be identified.
• Check the Type of Categorical Propositions and the positions of the terms,
Mood and Figure will be identified.
How to identify Conclusion and Premise
• While reading a syllogism, we can find some words that indicates the
following proposition is a premise or a conclusion. These words are
called Premise Indicators and Conclusion indicators.
Premise Indicators Conclusion Indicators
• since • may be inferred • Therefore • we may infer
• as indicated by from • wherefore • it must be that
• Because • given that • accordingly • whence
• For • seeing that • we may conclude • so
• in that • for the reason • entails that • it follows that
that
• as • hence • implies that
• inasmuch as
• thus • as a result
• owing to
• consequently
 Example (Converting Syllogism into Standard Form and Identify its
Mood and Figure
• No nuclear-powered submarines are commercial vessels, so no
warships are commercial vessels, because all nuclear-powered
submarines are warships.
• Step 1.
• The conclusion is “No warships are commercial vessels.”
• Step 2.
• “Commercial vessels” is the predicate term of this conclusion and is therefore
the major term of the syllogism and the MAJOR Premise Will be No nuclear-
powered submarines are commercial vessels.”
• Step 3.
• “Warships” is the Subject Term of the Conclusion and is therefore the minor
Term of the Syllogism and The MINOR Primes Will be “All nuclear-powered
submarines are warships,”
• Step 4.
• In standard form this syllogism is written thus:
No nuclear-powered submarines are commercial vessels. M is P
All nuclear-powered submarines are warships.
Therefore no warships are commercial vessels.
M is S
S is P
• Step 5.
• The three propositions in this syllogism are, in order, E, A, and E. (Figure 3)
• The middle term is , “nuclear-powered submarines,”
• so the syllogism is in the third figure. The mood and figure of the syllogism
therefore are EAE–3.
Example
• Some evergreens are objects of worship, because all fir trees are
evergreens, and some objects of worship are fir trees.
• Look for indicator Words, Because is the premise indicator, it means All Fir
Trees are evergreen and Some objects of worship are fir trees are the
premises, Whereas,
• Some Evergreens are object of worship is the Conclusion.
• It means, Object of worship is the Predicate Term and some objects of
worship are fir trees is the Major Premise.
• Evergreens is the Subject Term and all fir trees are evergreens is the Minor
Premise
• Fir Trees is the Middle Term.
Example Continued…
• Standard form will be
• Some objects of worship are fir trees
• All fir trees are evergreens
• Some evergreens are objects of worship

• Major Premise is of the Form I, Minor Premise is of the form A and conclusion
is of the form I, so Mood will be IAI
• Look for the position of Terms, so the Figure will be 4
P is M
M is S
• Mood and Figure of the given Syllogism is IAI-4 S is P
(Figure 4)
Syllogistic Rules and Syllogistic Fallacies
• Fallacies are the errors or the mistakes we commit in reasoning.
• In constructing a categorical syllogism at times we make mistakes
without even knowing.
• There are certain rules, if we follow then we can construct a valid
syllogism or we are sure that there are no mistakes in the syllogism.
• If there is a violation of one of the rules then we have committed a
fallacy.
• Since, violation of Rules and mistakes are for syllogism, that is why
these are called Syllogistic Rules and Syllogistic Fallacies
Syllogistic Rules and Syllogistic Fallacies
Rules Associated Fallacies
1. Avoid four terms. 1. Fallacy of Four terms
2. Distribute the middle term in at least one 2. Fallacy of Undistributed
premise. Middle
3. Any term distributed in the conclusion 3. Illicit Major/Illicit Minor
must be distributed in the premises.
4. Exclusive Premise
4. Avoid two negative premises
5. Drawing an affirmative
5. If either premise is negative, the conclusion from a
conclusion must be negative.
negative premise
6. No particular conclusion may be drawn
from two universal premises. 6. Existential fallacy
Rule 1. Avoid four terms / Fallacy of Four Terms
A valid standard-form categorical syllogism must contain exactly three terms, each of
which is used in the same sense throughout the argument.
Example: (Term used in different sense or meaning)

All rare things are expensive things.

All great novels are rare things
All great novels are expensive things.

Notice middle Term “Rare Things” are used in different meaning in both premises and
hence violating Rule 1 and committing a Fallacy of Four Term.
Rule 2: The middle term must be distributed in at
least one premise/ Fallacy of Undistributed Middle

Example (Middle Term is not distributed in either of the premise)

All Popes are Catholics.

Some Catholics are not pious people
Some pious people are not Popes.
Rule 3 : Any term distributed in the conclusion must be
distributed in the premises. / Fallacy of Illicit Major of
Illicit Minor
Example for Illicit Minor (Subject Term is Distributed in Conclusion but not in Premise)

All conservatives are mean-spirited people.

All mean-spirited people are Republicans
All Republicans are Conservatives.

Example for Illicit Major (Predicate Term is Distributed in Conclusion but not in Premise)

All mean-spirited people are Conservatives.

No mean-spirited people are Republicans
No Republicans are Conservatives.
Rule 4: No syllogism can have two negative premises. / Exclusive
Premise

Example (Both Premise are Negative)

No citizens are people that need to own a hand gun.

Some women are not people that need to own a hand gun
Some women are not citizens.
Rule 5: If either premise is negative, the conclusion must be
negative./ Drawing an affirmative conclusion from a negative
premise

Example (Second Premise is Negative but the conclusion is Affirmative)

• Some citizens are people that need to own a hand gun.

• Some women are not people that need to own a hand gun
• Some women are citizens.
Rule 6: No syllogism with a particular conclusion can have
two universal premises. / Existential Fallacy

Example (Both Premises are Universal but the Conclusion is particular)

All people who write about flowers are inhabited by fairies.

All poets are people that write about flowers
Some poets are inhabited by fairies.
Identifying Rules and Fallacies
P is M
Example 1 S is M
AAA-1 S is P

Standard Form (Figure 2)

All M are P
All S are M
All S are P
Violation Rule 2 Middle Term should be distributed at least one of the
premise and the Fallacy of Undistributed is committed.
Identifying Rules and Fallacies
M is P
Example 2
S is M
EAA–1
S is P

Standard Form (Figure 1)

NO M are P
ALL S are M
ALL S are P

Rule 5: If either premise is negative, the conclusion must be negative./

Drawing an affirmative conclusion from a negative premise
Identifying Rules and Fallacies
P is M
Example 3 M is S
OEO–4 S is P
Standard Form (Figure 4)
Some P are not M
NO M are S
Some S are not P

Rule 3 : Any term distributed in the conclusion must be distributed in the premises. /
Fallacy of Illicit Major
Rule 4: No syllogism can have two negative premises. / Exclusive Premise
Identifying Rules and Fallacies
P is M
Example 4
S is M
S is P
IAI–2
(Figure 2)
Standard Form
Some P are M
All S are M
Some S are P

Rule 2: The middle term must be distributed in at least one premise/ Fallacy
of Undistributed Middle
Identifying Rules and Fallacies
Example 5
P is M
EAO–4 M is S
S is P
Standard Form
No P are M (Figure 4)
All M are S
Some S is not P

Rule 6: No syllogism with a particular conclusion can have two universal

premises. / Existential Fallacy