PHL 3305 Lecture 17

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Chapter 7: Division

"from below" (toward greater universality) — finding what is common to all instances and exclusive to only those instances
"from the side" (toward equal universality) — seeking the cause of a thing's properties
"from above" (toward less universality) — divide an existing genus into species based on exclusive and exhaustive traits
1. to see all of the whole by exhausting it part by part
2. to see patrs distinctly without overlap
3. to see the order among the parts

The division must be split into parts that are less universal than the whole
The division must include all parts of the whole
The division must exclude anything that is not a part of the whole
The division must include only parts that are formally opposed to one another. (no overlaps)
The division must maintain one and the same basis throughout the process (don't shift the basis of division)
More immediate divisions must be prior to more remote divisions
Divisions must be rooted in what is most natural to the thing divided

a composed or integral hole has parts that make up the whole (e.g. bricks that make up a wall)
a universal whole is not composed of parts, but rather the whole is said of the part
- if a universal whole has no parts, then how can anything be said of the (assumedly non-existent) part‽

A definition is the limit or boundary of a thing.

A logical definition must tell us distinctly what the thing defined is
A logical definition must be convertible with the thing to be defined
- all men are rational animals ↔ all rational animals are men
A logical definition must be a definition of something that is universal
A perfect logical definition is composed of a (most-proximal) genus and specific difference(s)

An Essential Definition is the perfect logical definition of what something is: genus and specific difference
A Definition by Cause
- intrinsic causes: material (what it's made of) and formal (how it's shaped)
- extrinsic causes: efficient (what brings it about) and final (what it's purpose is)
A Definition by Property uses a property of the thing to be defined
A Definition by Accident uses accident(s) to establish a definition

According to Aristotle, the affections in the soul and truths of reality are the same regardless of language, words, or symbols.

sentence: a combination of words that yields a perfect composent expression
proposition: a declarative sentance that is either true or false.; often uses the verb is
names: subjects of a proposition
verbs: the "predicate" of a proposition; with a sequence of time (usually the present tense)

Logical form: {name} is {verb}