• TheMadFool
    13.8k
    Argument A

    1. Snow is white

    2. White is not emotion [white is a color, emotion is not]

    Ergo,

    3. Snow is not emotion [from 1, 2]

    ---

    Argument B

    4. C is a black circle

    5. C is black & C is circular [from 4]

    From 6 - 8 refer to argument A

    6. C is black [5 Simp]

    7. Black is not circular [black is a color, circular is not]

    Ergo,

    8. C is not circular


    9. C is circular [5 Simp]

    10. C is circular & C is not circular [8, 9 Conj] [Contradiction!]

    There are black circles :point: O and ○. So 4. C is a black circle cannot be false.

    Conclusion: There are true contradictions (see 10)
  • Michael
    15.8k
    You're equivocating. To say that C is black and circular is to say that C has the colour-property black and the shape-property circle. Colour properties cannot have shape-properties (as per 2), but objects can have both shape- and colour-properties.
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    You're equivocating. To say that C is black and circular is to say that C has the colour-property black and the shape-property circle. Colour properties cannot have shape-properties (as per 2), but objects can have both shape- and colour-properties.Michael

    I thought so too. Thanks for noticing my error.
  • kudos
    411
    The usual structure goes:

    individual -> particular
    particular -> universal
    individual -> universal

    You have replaced the universal in the second step with a second particular.
  • TheMadFool
    13.8k
    I was thinking along the lines of qualities. C's black in color but circular in shape. No contradiction.
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.