syllogism
pronunciation
How to pronounce syllogism in British English:
UK [ˈsɪlədʒɪzəm]
How to pronounce syllogism in American English:
US [ˈsɪləˌdʒɪzəm]
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- Noun:
- deductive reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises
Word Origin
- syllogism
- syllogism: [14] A syllogism is etymologically something ‘reasoned together’, hence ‘inferred’. The word comes via Old French sillogisme and Latin syllogismus from Greek sullogismós, a derivative of sullogīzesthai ‘reason together, infer’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix sun- ‘together’ and logízesthai ‘reason, reckon, compute’, a derivative of lógos ‘word, discourse, computation’ (source of English logarithm, logic, etc).=> logarithm, logic
- syllogism (n.)
- late 14c., from Old French silogisme "a syllogism, scholastic argument based on a formula or proof" (13c., Modern French syllogisme), from Latin syllogismus, from Greek syllogismos "a syllogism," originally "inference, conclusion; computation, calculation," from syllogizesthai "bring together before the mind, compute, conclude," literally "think together," from assimilated form of syn- "together" (see syn-) + logizesthai "to reason, count," from logos "a reckoning, reason" (see logos).
Example
- 1. A syllogism with an unstated major or minor premise , or even an unstated conclusion , needs to be examined with care because the omitted statement may contain an inaccurate generalization .
- 2. This model is less constrained than the syllogism and makes allowances for the important elements of probability , backing , or proof for the premise and rebuttal of the reader 's objections .
- 3. Deductive reasoning often utilizes the syllogism , a line of thought consisting of a major premise , a minor premise and a conclusion ; for example , all men are foolish ( major premise ) ; smith is a man ( minor premise ) ; therefore , smith is foolish ( conclusion ) .
- 4. If for instance we take the syllogism ( not as it was understood in the old formal logic , but as its real value ) , we shall find it gives expression to the law that the particular is the middle term which fuses together the extremes of the universal and the singular .