THE RULES AND FORMS OF MEDIATE INFERENCE:THE SYLLOGISM

The form:
	
	1. Every syllogism consists of three propositions.
	2. Each proposition must be in one of the A,E,I,O forms.
	3. Every syllogism contains three and only three terms.
	4. The first two propositions are called premises and the third the 	    	    conclusion, which is the proposition the syllogism is attempting to 	  	    ground.

	A syllogism with one premise omitted, the form of a thesis 	statement,is  called an enthymeme,
	Singular propositions, i.e. ones concerning individuals are considered 	as A or E  propositions.
	The term which appears in both premises but not in the conclusion is 	called the middle term.
	Avoiding equivocation is essential.

The function: the rules of valid construction.

	 Axioms.

	1. The middle term must be distributed in at least one of the 	premises.
	2. A term that is distributed in the conclusion must be distributed in 	the corresponding premise.
	3. At least one premise must be affirmative.
	4. If one premise is negative, the conclusion must be negative.
	5. If both premises  are affirmative, the conclusion must be affirmative.

	Theorems.

	1. One premise, at least, must be universal.
	2. If one premise is particular, the conclusion must be particular.
	3. If the major premise (the one which contains the predicate of the 	conclusion) is particular, the minor premise cannot be negative.

The four possible constructions.
	
	1.		2.		3.		4.

	M-P		P-M		M-P		P-M
	S-M		S-M		M-S		M-S  
...     	S-P		S-P		S-P		S-P