Abstract
The article deals with ancient ideas on the nature of syllogistics on the example of Empire's official Peripatetic philosopher, Alexander of Aphrodisias. We interpret Alexander's position on the syllogistic form as a theory of constant function. Alexander offers a conjunctive and purely formal understanding of the nature of syllogistic necessity. This approach to the modal properties of assertoric judgments differs from Theophrastus’ ontological position, who believed that modal characteristics of assertoric premises are determined by looking to the state-of-affairs to which they refer. Also, the paper examines Theophrastus’ legacy of hypothetical syllogisms related to Alexander. Stoic and Peripatetic versions are also compared against the background of Alexander's logical amalgamation. The article elucidates late “Peripatetic conservatism” regarding the hypothetical syllogistics.
Highlights
The importance of Alexander of Aphrodisias’ logical ideas related to the fact that his “defence” of logic, which has become a part of a larger commentary on Aristotle’s “Analytics” and “Topics,” was devised at a time when logical matters were neglected, both in education and science.[1]
The article deals with ancient ideas on the nature of syllogistics on the example of Empire's official Peripatetic philosopher, Alexander of Aphrodisias
Stoic and Peripatetic versions are compared against the background of Alexander's logical amalgamation
Summary
The importance of Alexander of Aphrodisias’ logical ideas related to the fact that his “defence” of logic, which has become a part of a larger commentary on Aristotle’s “Analytics” and “Topics,” was devised at a time when logical matters were neglected, both in education and science.[1]. Alexander starts with a definition of logic[4], setting it up as a syllogistic study (λογική τε καὶ συλλογιστικὴ πραγματεία), consisting of apodeictics, dialectic, research (πειραστικὴ) and sophistical methods (σοφιστικὴ μέθοδο). He understands logic as a kind of philosophical knowledge. According to some Arabic sources,[5] perhaps as early as Alexander’s time (2nd century AD), it was widely accepted that conditional hypothetical syllogisms drew up important parts of valid deduction schema available in philosophical debate
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