Scribd
Upload
32 views19 pages

Square of Opposition

The document discusses the square of opposition in logic. It defines universal and particular propositions and their relationships. Universal propositions refer to all members of a category, while particular propositions refer to some members. The square of opposition outlines the logical opposition between propositions with the same subject and predicate that differ in quantity or quality. It describes the four types of opposition - contradictory, contrary, subcontrary, and subalternation based on how the propositions differ. Contradictory propositions oppose in both quality and quantity, while the others only differ in one aspect. Empty classes can cause all four categorical propositions to be false if the subject category contains nothing.

Uploaded by

Ivy Marallag
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
32 views19 pages

Square of Opposition

The document discusses the square of opposition in logic. It defines universal and particular propositions and their relationships. Universal propositions refer to all members of a category, while particular propositions refer to some members. The square of opposition outlines the logical opposition between propositions with the same subject and predicate that differ in quantity or quality. It describes the four types of opposition - contradictory, contrary, subcontrary, and subalternation based on how the propositions differ. Contradictory propositions oppose in both quality and quantity, while the others only differ in one aspect. Empty classes can cause all four categorical propositions to be false if the subject category contains nothing.

Uploaded by

Ivy Marallag
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

The Square of
Opposition
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
UNIVERSAL

all
refers to all every
members or items any
each
of specific no
no one
category nothing
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
PARTICULAR

refers only to some some


members, items or several
majority
parts of the whole
few,
category not all,
identified at least one.
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
SQUARE OF OPPOSITION

Logical opposition between


two propositions having
the same subject and
predicate but are different
in either or both quantity
or quality.
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
All puppies All puppies
are cute are not cute

Some puppies Some puppies


are cute are not cute

Figure 1. Square of opposition for the categorical statements from. . . (n.d.). ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Square-of-opposition-for-the-categorical-statements-from-
syllogistics_fig1_320115862
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
CONTRADICTORY

OPPOSED IN BOTH
QUALITY AND
QUANTITY
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
All puppies are cute thus,
some puppies are not cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
CONTRARY

OPPOSED ONLY IN QUALITY


BUT
NOT IN QUANTITY AND ARE
ONLY APPLICABLE TO
UNIVERSAL PROPOSITIONS.
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
All puppies are cute thus,
all puppies are not cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
All puppies are not cute
thus, all puppies are cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
SUBCONTRARY

OPPOSED ONLY IN QUALITY


BUT NOT IN QUANTITY AND
ARE ONLY APPLICABLE TO
PARTICULAR
PROPOSITIONS.
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
Some puppies are cute
thus, some puppies are
not cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
SUBALTERNATION

OPPOSED ONLY IN
QUANTITY BUT
NOT IN QUALITY
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
All puppies are cute
thus, some puppies are
cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
Some puppies are cute
thus, all puppies are cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
Some puppies are not
cute thus, all puppies are
not cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

Example
All puppies are not cute
thus, some puppies are
not cute
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

PROBLEM

EMPTY CLASSES/SUBJECT
Any time your subject class is empty,
all four of the categorical propositions turn
out false.
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

You might also like