Fallacy of Four Terms
Category:
Definition: A syllogism has four terms
Examples:
- All dogs are animals, and all cats are mammals, so all dogs are mammals.
The four terms are: dogs, animals, cats and mammals.
Note:In many cases, the fallacy of four terms is a special case of equivocation. While the same word is used, the word has different meanings, and hence the word is treated as two different terms. Consider the following example: s, and all cats are mammals, so all dogs are mammals.
The four terms are: dogs, animals, cats and mammals.
Note:In many cases, the fallacy of four terms is a special case of equivocation. While the same word is used, the word has different meanings, and hence the word is treated as two different terms. Consider the following example:
, - Only man is born free, and no women are men, therefore, no women are born free.
The four terms are: man (in the sense of 'humanity'), man (in the sense of 'male'), women and born free.
Proof:
A standard form categorical syllogism contains four terms. See https://web.archive.org/web/20150108200256/http://www.fallacies.ca/cat_form.htm
Identify the four terms and where necessary state the meaning of each term.