The Oppositional Inference or The Oppositional Square of Proposition
The Oppositional Inference or The Oppositional Square of Proposition
PARTICULAR PARTICULAR
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2. CONTRARY OPPOSITION
o The type of oppositional square of the proposition that exists between two propositions which differ in
quality but not in quantity.
o These oppositional propositions are Proposition A and Proposition E. They are both universal/singular.
o RULES:
If one proposition is TRUE, the other proposition is FALSE;
If one proposition is FALSE, the other proposition is DOUBTFUL.
o EXAMPLES:
From proposition A (positive statement) to proposition E (negative statement)
Because it is true that every learner of today is an educator of tomorrow,
Therefore, it is false that no learner of today is an educator of tomorrow.
From proposition E (negative statement) to proposition A (positive statement)
Because it is false that no newspapers are reading materials,
Therefore, it is doubtful that all newspapers are reading materials.
3. SUBCONTRARY
o The type of oppositional square of the proposition that exists between two propositions differs also in
quality but not in quantity.
o These propositions are Proposition I and Proposition O. They are both particular.
o RULES:
If one proposition is FALSE, the other proposition is TRUE;
If one proposition is TRUE, the other proposition is DOUBTFUL.
o EXAMPLES:
From proposition I (positive statement) to proposition O (negative statement)
Because it is false that some reading material is a newspaper,
Therefore, it is true that some reading materials are not newspaper
From proposition O (negative statement) to proposition I (positive statement)
Because it is true that some lawyers are not honest,
Therefore, it is doubtful that some lawyer is honest.
4. SUBALTERN
o The type of oppositional square that exists between two propositions that differs in quantity like
universal/singular and particular but not in quality.
o These propositions are Propositions A and I in positive statement and Propositions E and O in negative
statement.
o RULES:
Proposition A (positive statement, universal/singular) and proposition I (positive statement,
particular)
If the universal is TRUE, the particular is also TRUE.
Because it is true that every Filipino is an Asian,
Therefore, it is also true that some Filipinos are Asians.
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Proposition E (negative statement, universal/singular) and proposition O (negative statement,
particular)
If the universal is FALSE, the particular is DOUBTFUL.
Because it is false that all Dalmatians are not cats,
Therefore, it is doubtful that some Dalmatians are not cats.