The Game of Logic eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 66 pages of information about The Game of Logic.

The Game of Logic eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 66 pages of information about The Game of Logic.
| | | i.e.  No nice are not-new. ----- | | | | | 0 | | | | | ----- | | ----- | | | | | 1 | | Some y are x, and some are x’; | | | i.e.  Some nice are new, and some are ----- | not-new. | | | | 1 | | | | | ----- | | ----- | | | | | 0 | | No y are x, and none are x’; i.e.  No y | | | exist; ----- | i.e.  No Cakes are nice. | | | | 0 | | | | | ----- | | ----- | | | | | 1 | | All y are x; | | | i.e.  All nice are new. ----- | | | | | 0 | | | | | ----- | | ----- | | | | | 0 | | All y are x’; | | | i.e.  All nice are not-new. ----- | | | | | 1 | | | | | ----- | _______________|_________________________________

This may be taken to be a cupboard divided in the same way as the last, but also divided into two portions, for the Attribute m.  Let us give to m the meaning “wholesome”:  and let us suppose that all wholesome Cakes are placed inside the central Square, and all the unwholesome ones outside it, that is, in one or other of the four queer-shaped outer compartments.

We see that, just as, in the smaller Diagram, the Cakes in each compartment had two Attributes, so, here, the Cakes in each compartment have three Attributes:  and, just as the letters, representing the two Attributes, were written on the edges of the compartment, so, here, they are written at the corners. (Observe that m’ is supposed to be written at each of the four outer corners.) So that we can tell in a moment, by looking at a compartment, what three Attributes belong to the Things in it.  For instance, take No. 12.  Here we find x, y’, m, at the corners:  so we know that the Cakes in it, if there are any, have the triple Attribute, ‘xy’m’, that is, “new, not-nice, and wholesome.”  Again, take No. 16.  Here we find, at the corners, x’, y’, m’:  so the Cakes in it are “not-new, not-nice, and unwholesome.” (Remarkably untempting Cakes!)

It would take far too long to go through all the Propositions, containing x and y, x and m, and y and m which can be represented on this diagram (there are ninety-six altogether, so I am sure you will excuse me!) and I must content myself with doing two or three, as specimens.  You will do well to work out a lot more for yourself.

Taking the upper half by itself, so that our Subject is “new Cakes”, how are we to represent “no new Cakes are wholesome”?

This is, writing letters for words, “no x are m.”  Now this tells us that none of the Cakes, belonging to the upper half of the cupboard, are to be found inside the central Square:  that is, the two compartments, No. 11 and No. 12, are empty.  And this, of course, is represented by

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The Game of Logic from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.