History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 225 - No Uncertain Terms - Thirteenth Century Logic
May 24, 2015
Exploring the advances in logic during the thirteenth century by terminist logicians. The use of predicates, the copula, and non-categorical terms in medieval logic. The complexities of necessary truths and the meaning of terms. The concept of supposition in thirteenth-century logic and its influence on medieval philosophy.
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New Sources Revolutionized Medieval Logic
- Thirteenth-century logic transformed after new Aristotelian works and Arabic sources became widely available.
- This led to a major expansion in logical textbooks and technical sophistication across medieval universities.
Peas Used To Track Negations
- John of Salisbury reports students counted peas to track multiple negations in pedantic dialectic classes.
- He used this to argue that the trivium arts are essential, not trivial.
Logic Began With Parts, Not Whole Syllogisms
- Medieval logic first focused on the parts of arguments: terms, premises, and copulas before syllogisms.
- This mirrored an ancient interpretation dividing Aristotle's works into terms, propositions, and syllogistic composition.