The reader wonders what is the difference between these two forms. In
the Aristotelian Sorites the minor term occurs in the first premise, and
the major term in the last; whilst in the Goclenian the major term
occurs in the first premise, and the minor in the last. But since the
character of premises is fixed by their terms, not by the order in which
they are written, there cannot be a better example of a distinction
without a difference. At a first glance, indeed, there may seem to be a
more important point involved; the premises of the Aristotelian Sorites
seem to proceed in the order of Fig. IV. But if that were really so the
conclusion would be, _Some Substance is Bucephalus_. That, on the
contrary, every one writes the conclusion, _Bucephalus is a substance_,
proves that the logical order of the premises is in Fig. I. Logically,
therefore, there is absolutely no difference between these two forms,
and pure reason requires either that the "Aristotelian Sorites"
disappear from the text-books, or that it be regarded as in Fig. IV.,
and its conclusion converted. It is the shining merit of Goclenius to
have restored the premises of the Sorites to the usual order of Fig. I.:
whereby he has raised to himself a monument more durable than brass, and
secured indeed the very cheapest immortality.
The common Sorites, then, being in Fig. I., its rules follow from those
of Fig. I:
(1) Only one premise can be particular; and, if any, only that in which
the minor term occurs.
For, just as in Fig I., a particular premise anywhere else involves
undistributed Middle.
(2) Only one premise can be negative; and, if any, only that in which
the major term occurs.
For if there were two negative premises, at the point where the second
entered the chain of argument there must be a syllogism with two
negative premises, which is contrary to Rule 5; whilst if one premise be
negative it must be that which contains the major term, for the same
reason as in Fig. I., namely, that the conclusion will be negative, and
that therefore only a negative major premise can prevent illicit process
of the major term.
If we expand a Sorites into its constituent syllogisms, the conclusions
successively suppressed will reappear as major premises; thus:
(1) An animal is a substance;
A quadruped is an animal:
∴ A quadruped is a substance.
(2) A quadruped is a substance;
A horse is a quadruped:
∴ A horse is a substance.
(3) A horse is a substance:
Bucephalus is a horse:
∴ Bucephalus is a substance.
This suffices to show that the Protosyllogism of a Goclenian Sorites is
an Enthymeme of the Third Order; after which the argument is a chain of
Enthymemes of the First Order, or of the First and Third combined, since
the conclusions as well as the major premises are omitted, except in the
last one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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