(4) “Bolingbroke in arguing against the truth of the Christian religion shows that the Christian religion has bred contentions.” “Burke answered him by showing that civil government had bred contentions.” CHAPTER 15. HYPOTHETICAL ARGUMENTS, AND DISJUNCTIVE ARGUMENTS INCLUDING THE DILEMMA. =1. THREE KINDS OF ARGUMENTS.= The proposition, constituting the basic unit of the argument, would of necessity be indicative of the nature of said argument; therefore the three general kinds of propositions, categorical, hypothetical and disjunctive, suggest the three kinds of arguments which are in turn categorical, hypothetical and disjunctive. Categorical arguments are those in which all of the propositions are categorical. Since this kind has been treated, it remains for us to consider the other two. =2. HYPOTHETICAL ARGUMENTS.= We have observed that a hypothetical proposition is one in which the assertion depends on a condition; for example, in the proposition, “If it is pleasant, I will call on you to-morrow,” the _calling_ depends on the state of the weather. “I will call on you to-morrow,” is the _assertion_ which is limited by the _condition_, “If the weather is pleasant.” Definition: _The hypothetical argument or syllogism is one in which the major premise is hypothetical and the minor premise categorical._ ILLUSTRATION: If the people are right more than half of the time, the world will progress; And the people _are_ right more than half of the time, Hence the world will progress. In contradistinction to _disjunctives_, hypothetical propositions and hypothetical syllogisms are frequently referred to as “_conjunctive_.” =3. THE ANTECEDENT AND CONSEQUENT.= Facility in detecting the antecedent and consequent of hypotheticals is required in order to deal intelligently with the argument. The hypothetical proposition has been defined as one in which the assertion is limited by a condition. The _consequent_ is the assertion and usually follows (though not always) the _antecedent_ which is the limiting condition. _First the antecedent and then the consequent is the logical order_ as the derivative meaning of the words antecedent and consequent would indicate. The antecedent is introduced by such words as “if,” “though,” “unless,” “suppose,” “granted that,” “when,” etc. ILLUSTRATIONS: _Antecedent._ _Consequent._ 1. If you study, you will pass. 2. If it rains, it is cloudy. 3. If two is added to three, the result is five. 4. If you are temperate, you will live to a ripe old age.