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This is the correct answer of the same question, but with the conclusion being I (it is preferred to have the
answer in this format, showing the rules that applied to each step that got you to the correct answer):
Suppose the conclusion is I. Then at least one premise is particular (Rule 2).
Therefore, M is first in the second premise. Therefore, IAI is valid in figure 4 or 3.
A term has distribution or is said to distribute if it is the 1st term of the universal or the 2nd term of the
negative.
The first term is the major premise. The second term is the minor premise. The third term is the
conclusion. And the number reflects which Figure you used to make it a valid syllogism. (ie. AAA-1 or
EIE-3).
Here they the Figures:
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
The mood refers to the string of the two premises and the conclusion regardless of the figure and is written
using the A, E, I, O format.
Rules to determine validity: A Standard Form Categorical Syllogism (SFCS) is valid if and only if there are
no substitutions producing true premises and false conclusion.
There are four Rules for determining the validity of a Standard Form Categorical Syllogism (SFCS):
2. The number of particular conclusions must EQUAL the number of particular premises (0 or 1).
3. The number of negative conclusions must EQUAL the number of negative premises (0 or 1).
* I am told that it is easier to find validity if you start with Rules 2 and 3. *
Thank you!
~Cynthia Straub~
Cynfulmom@aol.com
(In proofing my posting I see that the way I typed each item out actually gets mushed together. I hope
you are used to reading it and understanding that it is line by line. For example, for the four Figure
possibilities, each figure has 2 letters in premise 1's, then 2's, then the conclusion. Figure ones premise 1
is: M P. It's premise 2 is: S M and conclusion: S P. Hopefully you can understand by the way it gets
posted.