Symbolic Logic

Chapter 42

Chapter 42695 wordsPublic domain

_REPRESENTATION OF TWO PROPOSITIONS OF RELATION, ONE IN TERMS OF x AND m, AND THE OTHER IN TERMS OF y AND m, ON THE SAME DIAGRAM._

The Reader had better now begin to draw little Diagrams for himself, and to mark them with the Digits "I" and "O", instead of using the Board and Counters: he may put a "I" to represent a _Red_ Counter (this may be interpreted to mean "There is at least _one_ Thing here"), and a "O" to represent a _Grey_ Counter (this may be interpreted to mean "There is _nothing_ here").

The Pair of Propositions, that we shall have to represent, will always be, one in terms of x and m, and the other in terms of y and m.

When we have to represent a Proposition beginning with "All", we break it up into the _two_ Propositions to which it is equivalent.

When we have to represent, on the same Diagram, Propositions, of which some begin with "Some" and others with "No", we represent the _negative_ ones _first_. This will sometimes save us from having to put a "I" "on a fence" and afterwards having to shift it into a Cell.

[Let us work a few examples.

(1)

"No x are m'; No y' are m".

Let us first represent "No x are m'". This gives us Diagram a.

Then, representing "No y' are m" on the same Diagram, we get Diagram b. pg051 a b ·---------------· ·---------------· |(O) | (O)| |(O) | (O)| | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | | | | | |(O)| | |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| | | | | | | | |(O)| | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | | | | ·---------------· ·---------------·

(2)

"Some m are x; No m are y".

If, neglecting the Rule, we were begin with "Some m are x", we should get Diagram a.

And if we were then to take "No m are y", which tells us that the Inner N.W. Cell is _empty_, we should be obliged to take the "I" off the fence (as it no longer has the choice of _two_ Cells), and to put it into the Inner N.E. Cell, as in Diagram c.

This trouble may be saved by beginning with "No m are y", as in Diagram b.

And _now_, when we take "Some m are x", there is no fence to sit on! The "I" has to go, at once, into the N.E. Cell, as in Diagram c.

a b c ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------· | | | | | | | | | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | (I) | | | |(O)| | | | |(O)|(I)| | |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| | | | | | | |(O)| | | | |(O)| | | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | | | | | | | ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------·

(3)

"No x' are m'; All m are y".

Here we begin by breaking up the Second into the two Propositions to which it is equivalent. Thus we have _three_ Propositions to represent, viz.--

(1) "No x' are m'; (2) Some m are y; (3) No m are y'".

These we will take in the order 1, 3, 2.

First we take No. (1), viz. "No x' are m'". This gives us Diagram a. pg052 Adding to this, No. (3), viz. "No m are y'", we get Diagram b.

This time the "I", representing No. (2), viz. "Some m are y," has to sit on the fence, as there is no "O" to order it off! This gives us Diagram c.

a b c ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------· | | | | | | | | | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | | | | | |(O)| | | | |(O)| | |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| |---|(I)|---|---| | | | | | | | |(O)| | | | |(O)| | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | |(O) | (O)| |(O) | (O)| |(O) | (O)| ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------·

(4)

"All m are x; All y are m".

Here we break up _both_ Propositions, and thus get _four_ to represent, viz.--

(1) "Some m are x; (2) No m are x'; (3) Some y are m; (4) No y are m'".

These we will take in the order 2, 4, 1, 3.

First we take No. (2), viz. "No m are x'". This gives us Diagram a.

To this we add No. (4), viz. "No y are m'", and thus get Diagram b.

If we were to add to this No. (1), viz. "Some m are x", we should have to put the "I" on a fence: so let us try No. (3) instead, viz. "Some y are m". This gives us Diagram c.

And now there is no need to trouble about No. (1), as it would not add anything to our information to put a "I" on the fence. The Diagram _already_ tells us that "Some m are x".]

a b c ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------· | | | |(O) | | |(O) | | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | | | | | | | | | |(I)| | | |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| |---|---|---|---| | |(O)|(O)| | | |(O)|(O)| | | |(O)|(O)| | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | ·---|---· | | | | |(O) | | |(O) | | ·---------------· ·---------------· ·---------------·

[Work Examples § =1=, 9-12 (p. 97); § =2=, 1-20 (p. 98).]

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