In [[Prior Analytics|Aristotelian logic]] a '''syllogism''' is an argument consisting of three propositions. The last is called the conclusion, which is a necessary consequence of the two preceding, which are called ''premisses''. The conclusion has two terms, a subject and a predicate. The predicate is called the ''major term'', its subject the ''minor term''. To entail the conclusion, each of its terms must be compared in the premises with a third term, the ''middle'' term. Thus one premise has the major term and the middle term, and is called the ''major premise''. The other has the minor term and the middle term, and is called the ''minor premise''. | In [[Prior Analytics|Aristotelian logic]] a '''syllogism''' is an argument consisting of three propositions. The last is called the conclusion, which is a necessary consequence of the two preceding, which are called ''premisses''. The conclusion has two terms, a subject and a predicate. The predicate is called the ''major term'', its subject the ''minor term''. To entail the conclusion, each of its terms must be compared in the premises with a third term, the ''middle'' term. Thus one premise has the major term and the middle term, and is called the ''major premise''. The other has the minor term and the middle term, and is called the ''minor premise''. |