Aristotle- The Father of Logic Ancient Greek philosopher (384-322 BC) Student of Plato (who was student of Socrates) Known as the father of logic because he was the first to develop a formalized system for reasoning Observed that the validity of an argument can be determined by its structure (Standard Form/Syllogism) Aristotle liked to make detailed observations of the world, taking notes and records of what he saw (dissect animals to learn more about anatomy) This was unlike any philosopher before him as they did all of their work in their mind, thinking about their world, but not observing it. Aristotle emphasized good reasoning combine with good evidence.

Aristotle’s Common Topics A system Aristotle invented to help people discover possible evidence (basis of your premise) that could be used to support a conclusion Five common topics are: Definitions Testimony Comparison Relationship Circumstance

Aristotle's Common Topics Topic One: Definitions Done at the start of an argument/discussion Two things must be defined Your position The key terms of your position How you can define key terms Genus- larger group to which the word belongs Division- characteristics of the word that make it different from other species in its genus Etymology- history or origin of the word Description- Explain a word in greater detail than what is given in a definition, describe different types Examples- closely related to description, focus on one instance that clearly illustrates the word you are trying to define Synonyms/Antonyms- words that have similar and opposite meanings Procedural/operational definition- describes how something happens, occurs or is accomplished

Aristotle's Common Topics Topic Two: Comparison Comparisons to previous knowledge/ understanding How you can use comparison Similarity- Compares two examples in order to draw a conclusion based on relevant similarities. Can be illuminating because they often compare abstract concepts to more familiar concepts Difference- Examine the dissimilarities of examples Degree- determine the relative worth of an example or choice (ie. Greater number is more desirable than a smaller number, if a thing does not exist where it is more likely, it will not exist where it is less likely)

Aristotle's Common Topics Topic Three: Relationship Examining how concepts relate to one another to construct better conclusions How you can use relationship Cause and Effect- draws a conclusion by demonstrating that one phenomenon caused another phenomenon to occur Antecedent and Consequence- What naturally happens as a result of an action, “given this, what follows?” Contraries- States that the action has the opposite effect, should contain an antonym word Contradictories- completely denies the statement, add the word not before adjective or verb

Aristotle's Common Topics Topic Four: Circumstance Recognition of what circumstances are needed to construct the conclusion How you can use circumstance Possible and Impossible- Examines why something can or cannot occur or be done Past and Future Fact- Examines what has happened in the past and what this means for present circumstances

Aristotle's Common Topics Topic Five: Testimony Using outside support for your argument How you can use testimony Authority- information from someone that is an authority on the subject Testimonial- firsthand accounts of people’s experiences Statistics- a number that represents a large quantity of examples Maxims- wise saying that provides a general principal for living, don’t use as major support because often generalization not a rule or formula Law or Precedent- laws, legal rulings, or similar cases

Application Activity Describe your assigned common topic in your own words Provide a concrete example of your common topic Watch the courtroom scene from “A Few Good Men” Provide a concrete example of your common topic from this scene