Talk:Square of opposition

From Citizendium
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is developing and not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
To learn how to update the categories for this article, see here. To update categories, edit the metadata template.
 Definition A diagram representing the different ways in which each of the four propositions of the system are logically related ('opposed') to each of the others. [d] [e]
Checklist and Archives
 Workgroup category Philosophy [Categories OK]
 Talk Archive none  English language variant British English

Having taught the square of opposition many times, I think the main use of this article for most users will be: what is the square, exactly, and what do the different relationships between points on the square mean? So we should add a nice graphic. There must be a zillion free nice ones out there already. I myself might have one if you can't find one, but I'm sure it wouldn't be the best. Very cool that you could find the square from a Latin text (which needs labelling by the way), but this is mainly of historical interest and does not illuminate the square at all for modern students enrolled in critical thinking courses (i.e., the first audience we need to think about; of course, we can have as much more advanced info as you like, as long as that audience is also served). In general, this is a historical introduction. That's interesting as far as it goes, but more a lucid introduction (for a lay audience, I mean) with plenty of examples, similar to what is found in a well-written logic text, would be more helpful. Then a historical section could be added to explain the history of the square.

By the way, the article needs to be linked throughout. E.g., "traditional logic" needs to be changed to "traditional logic," etc. Wherever you see a word or phrase that it would be helpful to have a link from this article, the link should be included (see Article Mechanics for guidance on that). For example, words I would link include proposition, Latin, philosophy of language, logic, predicate, Aristotle, etc., etc.

Also, I notice this comes from Wikipedia. Please always check the "Content is from Wikipedia?" unless you are the sole author of the article.

One other thing. The square is obviously an entree to several related topics. It is worth thinking at this point about what information we might have in separate articles about those topics. Will we have articles about, for example, contrary propositions, subalternation, universal versus particular propositions, affirmative versus negative propositions (notice I don't say exactly how these should be titled), existential import, etc.? I think we should. If so, then perhaps the planned material about existential import should live at existential import, and only a relatively simple introduction to the problem would go on this page. --Larry Sanger 07:48, 16 February 2008 (CST)