Aristotle on False Reasoning: Language and the World in the Sophistical Refutations,9780791456606

Aristotle on False Reasoning: Language and the World in the Sophistical Refutations

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ISBN13: 9780791456606
ISBN10: 0791456609
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2003-03-01
Publisher(s): State Univ of New York Pr
List Price: $33.55

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Summary

Presenting the first book-length study in English of Aristotle's Sophistical Refutations, this work takes a fresh look at this seminal text on false reasoning. Through a careful and critical analysis of Aristotle's examples of sophistical reasoning, Scott G. Schreiber explores Aristotle's rationale for his taxonomy of twelve fallacy types. Contrary to certain modern attempts to reduce all fallacious reasoning to either errors of logical form or linguistic imprecision, Aristotle insists that, as important as form and language are, certain types of false reasoning derive their persuasiveness from mistaken beliefs about the nature of language and the nature of the world.

Author Biography

Scott G. Schreiber is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Director of Classical Studies at St. Norbert College.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations
xi
Preface xiii
Introduction: Reasoning and the Sophistical Refutations 1(1)
Aristotle on the Kinds of Reasoning
1(2)
The Sophistical Refutations
3(1)
Outline of the Book
4(7)
Part 1: Fallacies Due to Language
The Power of Names
11(8)
Naming Is Not Like Counting
11(2)
``Counters''
13(1)
``Signifiers''
14(4)
Conclusion
18(1)
Homonymy and Amphiboly
19(18)
Introduction: Aristotle's Use of λεξισ
19(1)
The Six Sources of False Reasoning Due to Language
20(1)
Homonymy
21(4)
Homonymy in the Categories
21(1)
Homonymy in S.E.
22(3)
Amphiboly
25(9)
Amphiboly in S.E.
26(2)
Amphiboly Outside the Organon
28(3)
Problems with Aristotle's Distinction: The Argument of S.E. 17
31(3)
Conclusion
34(3)
Form of the Expression
37(18)
Introduction
37(1)
Form of the Expression As a Category Mistake
38(6)
Confusion of Substance with Quantity
39(1)
Confusion of Substance with Relative
40(2)
Confusion of Substance with Quality
42(1)
Confusion of Substance with Time
42(1)
Confusion of Activity with ``Being-Affected''
43(1)
Confusion of Activity with Quality
44(1)
Form of the Expression Fallacies That Are Not Category Mistakes
44(4)
Confusion of a Particular with a Universal
44(1)
Confusion of One Particular Substance with Another
45(1)
Confusions Based on Gender Terminations
45(3)
Form of the Expression and Solecism: Aristotle and Protagoras
48(3)
Form of the Expression As a Linguistic Fallacy of Double Meaning
51(4)
Composition, Division, and Accent
55(24)
Difficulties and Procedure
55(3)
Fallacies Due to Accent
58(2)
Fallacies `Due to Composition and Division (C/D)
60(14)
C/D Fallacies Are Not Examples of Double Meaning
60(4)
The Primacy of Oral Speech
64(1)
Further Examples
65(3)
Confusing Linguistic Parts and Wholes
68(4)
C/D Fallacies in the Rhetoric
72(2)
Conclusion
74(5)
Part 2: Resolutions of False Arguments
Resolutions of False Arguments
79(18)
Introduction
79(1)
Principles of Aristotelian Analytical Method
80(2)
Two Kinds of Resolution
82(2)
The Principle of Parsimony
84(3)
Proper Refutations and Their Defects: Ignoratio Elenchi
87(1)
Resolutions of Fallacies Due to Language
88(9)
How These Fallacies Violate the Definition of a Refutation
88(2)
The Unity of Composition and Division: S.E. 23
90(2)
The Extralinguistic Component of Resolutions to Linguistic Fallacies
92(5)
Part 3: Fallacies Outside of Language
Begging the Question and Non-Cause As Cause
97(16)
Introduction
97(1)
The Fallacy of Begging the Question
98(8)
Begging the Question in the Prior Analytics
98(2)
Begging the Question in Dialectical Reasoning
100(4)
Begging the Question and Immediate Inferences
104(2)
Resolutions
106(1)
The Fallacy of Treating a Non-Cause As Cause
107(5)
Conclusion
112(1)
Accident and Consequent
113(28)
Introduction
113(1)
Fallacies Due to Accident and Their Resolutions
114(3)
False Resolutions to Fallacies Due to Accident
117(11)
False Resolutions by Appeal to Linguistic Equivocation
117(4)
False Resolutions by Appeal to Oblique Context
121(2)
False Resolutions by Citing Missing Qualifications
123(3)
Final Remarks on Double Meaning and Fallacies Due to Accident
126(2)
Historical Reasons for Treating Fallacies Due to Accident As Errors of Logical Form
128(2)
Fallacies Due to Consequent
130(9)
Introduction
130(2)
Aristotle's Examples
132(7)
Conclusion
139(2)
Secundum Quid
141(12)
Introduction
141(1)
Two Types of Secundum Quid Fallacy
142(2)
Resolutions of Secundum Quid Fallacies
144(1)
Secundum Quid As a Fallacy outside of Language: Aristotle's Position
145(3)
Problems with Aristotle's Position
148(2)
Conclusion
150(3)
Many Questions
153(14)
Introduction
153(2)
Disjunctive and Conjunctive Premises
155(4)
Disjunctive Premises
155(1)
Conjunctive Premises
156(3)
Resolutions of Fallacies Due to Many Questions
159(2)
Homonymy and Amphiboly As Cases of Many Questions
161(2)
Unity of Predication versus Unity of Definition: The Problem of de Interpretatione
163(2)
de Interpretatione 5
163(1)
de Interpretatione 8 and 11
164(1)
Conclusion
165(2)
Conclusion and Summary 167(6)
Appendix 1: Paralogisms in Aristotle 173(4)
Appendix 2: Words and Counters---Platonic Antecedents 177(2)
Appendix 3: Aristotle on κυριoν Predication 179(8)
Appendix 4: Platonic and Academic Background to Secundum Quid 187(4)
Notes 191(42)
Bibliography 233(8)
Index of Names 241(4)
Subject Index 245

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