Alexander of Aphrodisias on Syllogistic Reasoning Cover Image

Alexander of Aphrodisias on Syllogistic Reasoning
Alexander of Aphrodisias on Syllogistic Reasoning

Author(s): Sergei Garin
Subject(s): Philosophical Traditions, Logic, Ancient Philosphy
Published by: Новосибирский государственный университет
Keywords: history of logic; Alexander of Aphrodisias; Theophrastus; Galen; categorical syllogism; Stoics; ellipsis;

Summary/Abstract: The article deals with ancient ideas on the nature of syllogistics on the example of Empire's official Peripatetic philosopher, Alexander of Aphrodisias. We interpret Alexander's position on the syllogistic form as a theory of constant function. Alexander offers a conjunctive and purely formal understanding of the nature of syllogistic necessity. This approach to the modal properties of assertoric judgments differs from Theophrastus’ ontological position, who believed that modal characteristics of assertoric premises are determined by looking to the state-of-affairs to which they refer. Also the paper examines Theophrastus’ legacy of hypothetical syllogisms related to Alexander. Stoic and Peripatetic versions are also compared against the background of Alexander's logical amalgamation. The article elucidates late “Peripatetic conservatism” regarding the hypothetical syllogistics. We discuss the syntax of propositional / term relations (ei to A, to B), tackling the problem of grammatical ellipsis.

  • Issue Year: XIII/2019
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 32-47
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English