Assents · Syllogism · 4 of 7
Middle term
al-ḥadd al-awsaṭ
الحَدُّ الأَوْسَط
The middle term (al-ḥadd al-awsaṭ) is the term repeated in both premises of a conjunctive syllogism and dropped in the conclusion.
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In a picture
Explanation
The subject of the conclusion is the minor term (al-aṣghar), its predicate the major term (al-akbar).
In “every human is an animal; every animal is a body”, “animal” is the middle term.
Also written as: hadd awsat, middle term.
In the text
وَالْمُكَرَّرُ بَيْنَ مُقَدِّمَتَيِ الْقِيَاسِ يُسَمَّى: حَدًّا أَوْسَطَ، وَمَوْضُوعُ الْمَطْلُوبِ يُسَمَّى: حَدًّا أَصْغَرَ، وَمَحْمُولُهُ يُسَمَّى: حَدًّا أَكْبَرَ؛ وَالْمُقَدِّمَةُ الَّتِي فِيهَا الأَصْغَرُ تُسَمَّى: صُغْرَى، وَالَّتِي فِيهَا الأَكْبَرُ تُسَمَّى: كُبْرَى، وَهَيْئَةُ التَّأْلِيفِ تُسَمَّى: شَكْلًا.What recurs in both premises of the syllogism is called the middle term; the subject of the conclusion sought is called the minor term, and its predicate the major term. The premise containing the minor term is called the minor premise, the one containing the major term the major premise, and the form of their arrangement is called the figure.وَالأَشْكَالُ أَرْبَعَةٌ، لِأَنَّ الْحَدَّ الأَوْسَطَ إِنْ كَانَ مَحْمُولًا فِي الصُّغْرَى مَوْضُوعًا فِي الْكُبْرَى فَهُوَ: الشَّكْلُ الأَوَّلُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَحْمُولًا فِيهِمَا فَهُوَ: الشَّكْلُ الثَّانِي، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَوْضُوعًا فِيهِمَا فَهُوَ: الشَّكْلُ الثَّالِثُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مَوْضُوعًا فِي الصُّغْرَى مَحْمُولًا فِي الْكُبْرَى فَهُوَ: الشَّكْلُ الرَّابِعُ.The figures are four, because if the middle term is the predicate in the minor premise and the subject in the major, that is the first figure; if it is the predicate in both, the second; if the subject in both, the third; and if the subject in the minor and the predicate in the major, the fourth.Related terms
Practise
4 questions on this term, in the practice set for syllogism.
Go to practice · 16 questionsNext: Minor and major premise الصُّغْرَى وَالكُبْرَى
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