How many separate terms does a categorical syllogism have?

Question 4 options:

3

2

None

1

Question

How many separate terms does a categorical syllogism have?

Question 4 options:

3

2

None

1

Ask a Philosopher · Accepted Answer

When it comes to the question of how many separate terms a categorical syllogism has, I must admit I am not quite sure. It could be one, two, or three, or none at all! I suppose that all depends on how one defines "term." If one were to define it as the subject or predicate of a proposition, then one might say that it has two terms since a categorical syllogism is composed of two propositions. However, if one were to take a more expansive definition, then one might say that it could have three terms, with each term being the subject and predicate of each proposition. On the other hand, if one were to take an even more expansive definition, then one might say that it has none at all, since the two propositions are related to each other in such a way that they form one logical statement. Thus, it is difficult to say definitively how many separate terms a categorical syllogism has - it could be one, two, three, or none!