Syllogisms- three-point logistic tool used to specify on any part of a topic you want to prove as true.
Motus Ponens- if/then sort of statement commonly expressed as "if p, then q". If the first statement is true, then the second must be as well.
Motus Tollens- Similar to Motus Ponens, but follows a slightly different format, still "if p, then q". But, if the second statement is false, then the first must be as well.
Syllogisms
All three of these utilities of Deductive Logic help to clarify a broader aspect by specifying on a part of that broader topic.
For example, as we will see in the syllogism to come, we go from the broad term 'creative' to a specific individual, Picasso.
All artists are creative.
Picasso is an artist.
Picasso is creative.
thought this was an important logistic tool, it isnt hard to see where mistakes can be made and truth becomes more of an issue even if we alter just part of the first statement. If we were to substitute another adjective for creative, say 'virtuous', issues can arise. sure, we're being very casual about the adjectives we choose now, but nonetheless, they can still be controvertial. if we went on with th syllogism, we'd end up with 'Picasso is virtuous'. now, extreemely different from before, we have what is more seemingly an opinion. things such as ''mortality'' are rather straightforward, either you ahve it or you dont, noone can really deny that once its stated. adjectives such as "virtuous', or "funny" or even remarks about one's intelligence are more easilly arguable, and opinionated.
Motus Ponens
Unlike syllogisms and their three-part proof system, Motus Ponens only have two parts to their construction. First the if/then statement. "If it is raining, then it is cold". the second part is the most important. that first half of the statement, the "it is raining" portion, must be true for the second portion to be as well. so, this translates to, "it is not raining, therefore it is not cold." obviously we can think of days where it doesnt rain, but is still rather cold. again, of course "cold" is an opinionated adjective, but the general idea of it still stands.
Motus Tollens
very much like Motus Ponens and still unlike three-part syllogisms, Motus Tollens have two parts, still constructed in an if/ then statement. let us take yet another example, "if there is no food, then people will starve." as we saw before with Motus Ponens, eveyrthing relied on the first, or "p" statement. in this case, however, the required factual statement is the latter, the "q" statement. if the second statement is not true, then there is no way for the first to be as well. again translated, "people are not starving, therefore there is food."
Similarities
In all three of these statements, the fact that we have to use adjectives in our examples poses an issue already. Though the statements and logisctic tools may have been constructed right, holding validity in its reasoning, the truthfulness of the statement is the problem. as stated earlier, there are loopholes to these logics, all of which lay in the personal construct of an opinion. the end results in many arguments made using these devices can usually easilly be argued or contradicted, simply based on matter of opinion
Keep in mind that there are indeed some adjectives that cannot easily be contradicted by opinion, such as one's mortality, gender (physically and literally speaking of course [counting out similies and metaphors]), or prescence. it is rather hard to deny weither or not someone is dead, unless they are wrong, in which case the device used to come to that conclusion was poorly constructed. same goes to gender or prescence. weither someone is there or not depends on if they are really there, not just a matter of opinion.
