Desiderata
Variant I
In each of the following sets of words, printed in italics and enclosed in brackets, the Reader is requested to score the one which he thinks most appropriate, or to insert one of his own invention, if he can think of one better than any of them.
(1)
The name “soldier” represents, equally well, each of a number of different objects of thought; and, when we hear it used, we are not certain what particular object of thought the speaker refers to. Such a name may be called [collective, common, general, indefinte, etc.]
(2)
The name “London”, or the name “soldiers” (when used in the sense of “all soldiers”, as in the Proposition “Soldiers are men”), represents only one object of thought; and, when we hear it used, we are certain what particular object of thought the speaker refers to. Such a name may be called [definite, individual, particular, singular, etc.]
(3)
Suppose that a certain valid argument has “No A are B” for its Conclusion; but that this Conclusion is false, one of the Premisses also being false.
(1) We may say
‘The Conclusion “No A are B” is [consequent, correct, lawful, legal, legitimate, logical, right, valid, etc.] but false’.
(2) Again, we may say
‘The Conclusion “Some A are B” is [inconsequent, incorrect, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate, illogical, wrong, invalid, etc.] though true’.
(4)
Suppose that a certain valid argument has the double Proposition “No A are B, and no C are D” for its Conclusion.
(3) We may say
‘The Conclusion “No A are B, and no C are D” is [consequent, etc.] and [complete, full, perfect, etc.]’.
(4) Again, we may say
‘The Conclusion “No A are B” is [consequent, etc.] but [incomplete, imperfect, deficient, defective, etc.]’.
For each of the following Fallacies a short and expressive Name is desired.
(1)
“Schoolboys are numerous;
My sons are not numerous.
∴ My sons are not schoolboy.”
(2)
“Books in my bookcase are books in my room. Hence, to diminish the number of books in my bookcase is to diminish the number of books in my room.”
(3)
“He who is most hungry eats most;
He who eats most is least hungry.
∴ He who is most hungry is least hungry.”
(4)
“So your picture is No. 1 in the Catalogue, is it? Well, that doesn’t prove it to be the best in the Exhibition!” [This insinuates, without actually saying it, that the artist had assumed that the mark ‘No. 1’ did prove his picture to be the best. It might perhaps be called ‘The Fallacy of denying what has not been asserted’.]
June, 1895
Variant II
In each of the following sets of words, printed in italics and enclosed in brackets, the Reader is requested to score the one which he thinks most appropriate, or to insert one of his own invention, if he can think of one better than any of them.
(1)
A name, which represents, equally well, each of a number of different objects of thought (e. g. “soldier”), may be called [collective, common, general, indefinte, etc.]
(2)
A name, which represents only one object of thought (e. g. “the sun”), may be called [definite, individual, particular, singular, etc.]
(3)
Under which category would you place the following names, “our soldiers”, “our army”, “Frenchmen”, “manhood”?
(4)
The Conclusion of a valid argument may be called [consequent, correct, lawful, legal, legitimate, logical, right, valid, etc.]
(5)
Would you prefix the adverb “formally”?
(6)
A Proposition, offered as the Conclusion of an invalid argument, may be called [inconsequent, incorrect, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate, illogical, wrong, invalid, etc.]
(7)
When a Proposition, offered as the Conclusion of a valid argument, contains the whole of its Conclusion, it may be called [complete, full, perfect, etc.]
(8)
When it contains only a portion of its Conclusion, it may be called [incomplete, imperfect, deficient, defective, etc.]
June, 1895.