The principles of science : $b a treatise on logic and scientific methodJevons, William Stanley
Philosophy
The principles of science : $b a treatise on logic and scientific method
Jevons, William Stanley
Logic; Science -- Methodology
If now we take the series of eight combinations of the letters A, B,
C, *a*, *b*, *c*, and wish to analyse the argument anciently called
Barbara, having the premises
A = AB (1)
B = BC, (2)
we proceed as follows--We raise the combinations marked *a*, leaving
the A’s behind; out of these A’s we move to a lower ledge such as
are *b*’s, and to the remaining AB’s we join the *a*’s which have
been raised. The result is that we have divided all the combinations
into two classes, namely, the A*b*’s which are incapable of existing
consistently with premise (1), and the combinations which are
consistent with the premise. Turning now to the second premise, we
raise out of those which agree with (1) the *b*’s, then we lower
the B*c*’s; lastly we join the *b*’s to the BC’s. We now find our
combinations arranged as below.
+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| A | | | | *a* | | *a* | *a* |
| B | | | | B | | *b* | *b* |
| C | | | | C | | C | *c* |
+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| | A | A | A | | *a* | | |
| | B | *b* | *b* | | B | | |
| | *c* | C | *c* | | *c* | | |
+---+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
The lower line contains all the combinations which are inconsistent
with either premise; we have carried out in a mechanical manner that
exclusion of self-contradictories which was formerly done upon the
slate or upon paper. Accordingly, from the combinations remaining in
the upper line we can draw any inference which the premises yield. If
we raise the A’s we find only one, and that is C, so that A must be C.
If we select the *c*’s we again find only one, which is *a* and also
*b*; thus we prove that not-C is not-A and not-B.
When a disjunctive proposition occurs among the premises the requisite
movements become rather more complicated. Take the disjunctive argument
A is either B or C or D,
A is not C and not D,
Therefore A is B.
The premises are represented accurately as follows:--
A = AB ꖌ AC ꖌ AD (1)
A = A*c* (2)
A = A*d*. (3)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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