Logic of Terms and Ideas

 Ideas are invincible and not perceptible to the sense

 They only exist in the mind of the person thinking and cannot be
transferred physically into the mind of another person.
 However, the person thinking can share his ideas by using words
or terms.
 Words or terms are expressive of ideas or concept
 An idea is the representation of the essence of a thing in the mind, this just an intellectual
or intentional image and not a physical one.
 The term is very much essential for the understanding of the
proposition and for its function in an inference.
 The term must be defined first.
 Aristotle himself gave importance in the analysis of the term in order to analyze
the truth value of the propositions and eventually, the validity of arguments.
Division of Ideas
1. Concrete and Abstract Ideas

 The meaning of the idea, the being of the subject which is concrete
 The concept presents itself as a state of the being
 The concept is concrete
 Ideas are concrete when they express a nature or determining attribute as inherent in a
subject
 It always represents thing as it is found in reality
 Concept is abstract only when we think of a state of being as though the state
of being itself a being or subject
 Ideas are abstract when they express a nature or deterring attribute
consider as separated from the subjects in which it inheres.
2. Collective and Divisive Concepts

 Collective concepts represent collections group of individual beings

 Divisive concepts are those which stand for individual being
3. Absolute and Functional Extension of Terms
• The extension of term is absolute if it refers to the sum-total of all the
individual or groups to which the term can be applied
• The extension of a term is functional if the term includes only such subjects
which are present to the mind when used in discourse.
Kinds of Terms
1. Universal term is applied to each and all of the members of a class, or represents all
possible extension of a concept
a. Universal expressions-expressions that denote universal idea
b. Universal ideas-ideas that express universality
c. Articles like the, a, or an if the ideas are universal
2. Particular term is applied to an indeterminately designed portion of its absolute
extension. A term is said to be particular if it represents a part or a portion of all the
members of a class.
Ex. Some, something, someone, somebody, sometimes, few, several, plenty,
most, majority, many a good number, majority
3. Singular term is applied to only one specified object, individual, or group.
a. Proper nouns
b. Nouns modified by adjectives in the superlative degree
c. Demonstrative pronouns as they point to a single individual or group
Classification of Ideas
1. Ideas according to their extension. It may be singular, universal or particular
2. Ideas according to their comprehension
a. Simple has only one note, elements or attribute
b. Composite has two or more notes or attributes
c. Concrete present things as they exist or are found in reality
d. Abstract represents either the nature or are attributed as it exist in the mind
separated from reality
3. Ideas according to their relations
a. Identical –are ideas with the same comprehension and extension
b. Different –are ideas with the different comprehension and extension
Different Ideas
1. Concrete ideas are different ideas but possible to unite them
2. Incomplete idea is an idea that cannot be united to form one idea because they
mutually exclude each other
Incompatible idea
a. Contrary Ideas are opposed ideas that follow other possible
classification in their genus or class. Non-exhaustive opposites.
b. Contradictory ideas are on opposed ideas that do not allow any other
possible member in their class. Exhaustive opposites.
c. Relative ideas are an opposed ideas in which one implies the other or
bear mutual relation to one another
d. Privative ideas are an opposed ideas in which one signifies
perfection and other denies such perfection in a certain subject, which ought to
possess it.
3. Ideal according to origin or formation
a. Intuitive or immediate idea is formed through direct observation or
perception of things
b. Derivative or mediate idea is formed by some other means other than direct
or immediate perception
4. Ideas according to definiteness of meaning
a. Univocal is a term that has exactly the same meaning in at least two
occurrences
b. Equivocal is a term that has different meaning at least two occurrences
c. Analogous is a term those have partly the same and partly different
meanings in at least two occurrences