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BLOG102 FINALTERM Lesson1
BLOG102 FINALTERM Lesson1
FINAL TERM
Lesson Objectives: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
• Identify applicable eductions for each categorical proposition A, E, I, and O.
• Construct the applicable converse, obverse, contraposit, and inverse of a given
proposition.
• Prove that in an argument, there are several ways of saying the same thing and is
very valuable in the search for truth.
EQUIVALENT PROPOSITIONS
In the immediate equivalent inference, also known as eduction, the two propositions
speak of the same truth, and either one is directly inferred from the other. There are two
kinds of eduction - the formal and the material. Formal eduction based its validity on
the quality of the propositions and the quantity of their terms. Material eduction based
its validity on the meanings of terms or the special character of their matter or thought
content. In this lesson, we will discuss only Formal Eduction.
Formal Eduction
There are four kinds of formal eduction, namely: conversion, obversion, contraposition,
and inversion.
In simple conversion, the quantity of the converse and the convertend are the same.
Thus, if the convertend is universal, the converse is also universal; if the convertend is
particular, the converse is particular, and if the convertend is singular, the converse is
singular.
The process of converting propositions by simple conversion involves the following steps:
1. Interchange the subject-term and the predicate-term.
2. Retain the quality of the original proposition.
3. Retain the quantity of the original proposition.
Obversion. In obversion, the subject-term and the quantity of the original proposition,
called obvertend, are retained in the new proposition called obverse. The quality of
the obvertend is changed, and its predicate-term is changed to its contradictory in the
obverse. All propositions can be subjected to obversion. Proposition A can be
obverted to proposition E, proposition E to proposition A, proposition I to proposition O,
and proposition O to proposition I.
Examples:
A All men are mortal. E No political candidate is
an introvert.
to to
E No man is immortal. A Political candidates are
extrovert.
I Some students are quite talented. O Some men are not honest.
to to
O Some students are not quite untalented. I Some men are dishonest.
Note on contradictory and contrary terms. In subjecting propositions to formal
eduction, there are cases where there is a need to use the contradictory of the original
subject- or predicate-terms. While there are terms with contradictory opposites like
"mortal" and "immortal," "introvert" and "extrovert," there are terms which require the use
of prefix or suffix to be added to the terms to effect contradictory meanings, such as
"talented" and "untalented," "honest" and "dishonest," "white" and "non-white," "plants"
and "non-plants," "full of life" and "lifeless," and "full of love" and "loveless."
Complete Contraposition
The contraposits, in examples above, were arrived at directly, a process which requires
the learner to remember the features of each type of contraposit. The indirect
approach of going through the series of obversions and conversions is the ideal
procedure though.
Inversion. In inversion, the subject-term of the new proposition, called inverse, is the
contradictory of the subject-term of the original proposition called invertend. There are
two types of inversion - the partial and the complete. Both types of inversion involve
the series of obversions and conversions. Partial inverse has these features: its subject-
term is the contradictory of the original subject-term, its quality is changed, its
predicate-term is the same with the original predicate-term, and its quantity is changed
or reduced from universal to particular. Complete inverse has these features: its
subject-term is also the contradictory of the original subject-term, its quality remains the
same, its predicate-term is the contradictory of the original predicate-term, and its
quantity is changed or reduced from universal to particular. Only propositions A and E
can be inverted. In partial inversion, proposition A is transformed to proposition O, and
proposition E to proposition I. In complete inversion, proposition A is changed to
proposition I, and proposition E to proposition O.
Examples:
Partial inversion
Complete inversion
The inverses above were arrived at using the direct approach, that is, without going
through the series of obversions and conversions which is the ideal procedure in arriving
at an inverse of any type. The direct process requires committing to memory the
features of each type of inverse. If the indirect method will be used in inverting
propositions, proposition A should be inverted starting with obversion, proposition E
should be inverted beginning with conversion. The process of converting and obverting
should be done until one arrives at the partial and the complete inverses.
Acronym for Complete Inversion process of Proposition A: OCOC; for Partial Inversion:
OCOCO.
Acronym for Partial Inversion process of Proposition E: COC; for Complete Inversion:
COCO.
The matrix that follows will be useful in remembering the features of the new
propositions of any formal eduction:
Applying what we have discussed regarding eduction, let us see the following
propositions: