First Mechanization for Validity
Learn about the algorithm for computing validity with examples.
We'll cover the following...
- Algorithm for computing validity
- Step 1: Ensuring categorical syllogism
- Step 2: Ensuring standard forms of categorical propositions
- Step 3: Identifying the major, minor, and middle terms
- Step 4: Ordering the major premise, minor premise, and conclusion
- Step 5: Identifying the mood
- Step 6: Identifying the figure
- Step 7: Looking up the 15 valid forms
- Example 1
- Example 2
- Review and reflect
Algorithm for computing validity
Judging an argument for being valid is something that resides deep within the realm of our minds. Aristotle’s contributions have made that subconscious process more accessible to us. The following seven
Step 1: Ensuring categorical syllogism
This first step only ensures that the argument qualifies for all the definitional requirements of a categorical syllogism, i.e., it has two premises and one conclusion. Secondly, it speaks of three categories or terms and distributes them evenly—each term in exactly two of the three propositions.
Step 2: Ensuring standard forms of categorical propositions
Even if the argument is a categorical syllogism, the second step ensures that each of the three propositions is in one of the four standard categorical proposition forms, known as