Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/817

 S Y. L

[ 160]

S Y M

inferring the third: Tho 7 they are both call'd Sumptiones, becaufe aSTuni'd for the Sake of the third ; and both Pre- mifes, as being premis'd to it 5 and for the lame Reafon both are ca\Vd Antecedents, only the firft the Major^nd the latter the Minor. See Assumption, Premises, Major, Minor, &C.

The third is caU'd the Conchtjjon, as being the Clofe of the whole Argumentation ; and lometiaies Complexion as in- cluding the two Notions, before leparately compar'd 5 and Confequens, becaufe it follows from she Antecedents 5 and laftly, Illatio, becaufe inferr'd from the Premifes by Means of the illative Particle Ergo, therefore, £$c. See Conclu- sion, Complexio, ££?c.

As the Conclusion is the principal Part of zSyJlogifm,^ it thence arifes, that tho' both the Proposition and A flump t ion coniift each of its Subject and Attribute 5 yet the Subject- and Attribute of a Sylkgifm, are properly understood of thofe of the Conclusion. See SriijRC 1 and Attribute.

Again, in the Instance above mention'd, Animal being ufed both as Subject and Attribute, 'tis held a kind of Interme- diate between the Two, and frequently c&Wd Medium ; in refpeft to which, both the Subject and Attribute, Man and Thinks, are call'd Extremes, or 'Terms ; only the Subject the greater Extreme, and the Attribute the lefs. See Medi- um and Extreme.

A Sylhgifm, whether Simple or Compound; may either be Categorical, as that already inltanced ; wherein both Premifes are Positive. See Categorical.

Or, Hypothetical, wherein one or both of the Premifes are .fuppofed; as, As if the Sun pines, 'tisTfay, but the Sun does pine 5 therefore 'tis T)ay. See Hypothetical.

Or, Analogical^ as, As the Safe is to the Column ; fo is Jujlice to the Commonwealth ; but if the Safe be withdrawn, the Column is overturned 5 therefore if Jufice be taken away, the Commonwealth is over-tum'd. See Analogical.

Or THezeutic, or Disjttuftive ; as, Either they mean to c Pleafe or to Profit ; but they .don't aim to Plecfe - 7 therefore they don't dim to'Proft. See Diezeutic

ThemoSt convenient Form of a perfect: Sylhgifm, is to have the Medium in the Middle, placed between the Subject: and the Attribute ; as in the Inltance above-mentioned.

Of this Form, there are two Figures 5 the one Coherent, or ConjmS and Affirmative, founded on this Canon, That what agrees with any thing, likewise agrees with that, where- with this neccSTarily agrees.

The other Incoherent or DisjunB and Negative, founded on this Canon, That what agrees with, any thing, difigrees with that wherewith this disagrees. Of each of thefe Figures there arc three Modes, viz. General, 'Particular and Mix'd. See Moon and Figure.

A Sylhgifm, wherein one of the Premifes is fupprefs'd ; but fo as to be understood, is call'd an Enthymcme ; e.gr. Every Animal Thinks, therefore Man Thinks 5 wherein -the Proportion, Man is an 'Animal, is understood. See En-

THYMEME.

The Demonstrations of Mathematicians, 'tis obferved, are onlv certain Series's of F.ntbymemcs ; fo that everything in Mathematicks, is concluded by Sylhgifm ; only omitting Such Premifes as occur of their own accord, or as are referr'd to by the Citations. See Demonstration,

For the Ufe Sylhgifm is of to Reafon, Mr. Lock obferves, That of four Things, which Reafon is employ'd about, viz. the finding out of 'Proofs j the regular Difpofition of them, fo as their Connexion may appear ; the perceiving their Con- nexion ; and the making a right Concluiion : Sylhgifm only a (Tills in one, viz. the (hewing the Connexion of the Proofs of any Inftance.

.Nor is it of any great Ufe even here ; fincc the Mind can ■perceive fuch Connexion, where it really is, as eafily, nay, per- haps, better, without. We fee Men reafon very Strongly, who don't know how to make a Syllcgifm.

Indeed, Sylhgifm. the fame Author adds,, may Serve to difcover a Fallacy in a rhetorical Flourifh. 5 or, by (tripping an Ahfurdity of the Cover of Wit and good Language, Stiew it in its natural Deformity. But it only (hews the Wcaknefs or Fallacy of' fuch a DHcourfe, by the artificial Form it is put into, to thofe who have thoroughly Studied Mode, and Figure, and have fo examined the many Ways three Propo- rtions may be put together in, as to know which of them docs certainly conclude right, and which not, and upon what Grounds they do fo.

The Mind is not taught to reafon by thefe Rules : It has a native Faculty, of perceiving the Coherence or Incoherence of its Ideas, and can range them right, without fuch per- plexing Repetitions. -Add, that to (hew the Weaknefs of an Argument, there needs no more, than to Strip it of the fuper- ' fiuous Ideas, which, blended and confounded with thofe on which the Inference depends, Seems to (hew a Connexion where there is none ; or at lead hinders the Difcovery of the Want of it : And then to lay the naked Ideas, on which -the Force of the Argumentation depends, in their due Order. In this Position, the Mind taking a View of them, fees what

Connexion they have, and fo is able to judge of their I ference, without any need of Sylhgifm at all. Nor mufl^ be omitted, thzt Syllogiftns are as liable to Fallacies as the plainer Ways of Argumentation 5 for which one might appeal to common Obfervation, which has always elteem'd thefe ^h ficial Methods of Reafoning, more adapted to catch and in tangle the Mind, than to instruct and inform the UnderiUid" ing. And if it be certain that Fallacy can be couch 'd in a Sylhgifm, as no Body will deny but it may; it mult be f omc . thing elfe, and not a Syllcgifm, that mult difcover it.

The fameAuthor proceeds to fhew,that thisWayof Reafon- ing, difcovers no new Proofs, nor makes any Difcoverics • but is wholly converfant in the Marfhalling and Ranging thofe we already have : A Man mull know, e'er he be able to prove fyllogifically ; fo that the Sylhgifm comes after Knowledge when we have but little need of it. See Reason.

SYLVA, in Poetry, a poetical.Piece ; compofed, as it were at a Start ; in a kind of Rapture or Transport, without much Thought or Meditation.

Such are the Syhre ofStatius, which, he affures us, were all compofed after this Manner.

$j*$tintilian extends the Ufe of the Word to any Writing done in hafte, and on the Spot.

The Word is Latin, and literally fignifies Forefl ; whence its chief Ufe, in our Language is, metaphorically, to exprefs certain Collections of poetical Pieces, of various Kinds, and on various Subjects 5 as a Forelt is an Affemblage of Trees of different Kinds.

SYMBOL, a Sign, Type, Emblem or Representation of any moral Thing, by the Images or Properties of natural Things. See Sign, Type, ££?c.

Thus we fay, the Lion is the Symbol of Courage; the Pellican of paternal Love, £J?c. '

Symbols were in great Repute among the ancient Hebrews, and efpecially among the Egyptians 5 and ferved to cover a great Part of their moral Myiteries ; being ufed not only to icprefent Moral Things by Natural 5 but even Natural by Natural.

Symbols are of various Kinds ; as Types, Mnigma's t 'Parables, Fables, Allegories, Emblems, Hieroglyphicks, t$c. each whereof fee under its refpective Article Enigma,. Parabl e, Fable, ££jc.

The Word is form'd from the Greek, eopCohay, a Mark, Sign,'or Badge, and that from the Verb <7vpQa.hh.eiv, Conjicere.

The Chinefe Letters are moft of them Symbols, or Signi- ficative. See Letter.

The Symbols in Algebra, &c. are various. See Cha- racter.

Medallists apply the Term Symbol to certain Marks or Attributes peculiar to certain Perfons, or certain Deities. The Thunder-bolt, for Instance, accompanying the Heads of cer- tain Emperors, is a Sign or Symbol of the Soveraign Autho- rity, and of a Power equal to that of the Gods. The Trident is the Symbol of Jupiter ; the Peacocks of Juno; a Figure feated on an Urn, of a River.

Symbol, among Christians, is particularly ufed for the Creed, or the Articles every Christian is to know, and be- lieve. See Creed.

Fleury obferves, That till the Time of St. Gregory, the Symbol was never ufed to be rehearfed in the Office of the Roman Church ; in regard that Church, having never been infe£led with any Herefy, did not need to make any Pro- fession of Faith.

Suicer notes, That feveral Words and Points have been occasionally added to the Symbols, upon the rifing of new Hcreiies.

Though it be a common Opinion, that the Symbol is the Work of the Apoflles 5 and though, on the footing of fuch Opinion, we call it the Apofiles Creed; yet, du 'Pin obferves, there are feveral very cogent Arguments to render the Opinion highly improbable.

In the Emperor's Library, is a Greek MS of the Symbol of the Apofiles, divided into 12 Articles, with the Names of the refpective Apolties, who are faid to have compofed each Article : The Firlt is attributed to St.Peter, and the reft fucceflively to Andrew, James Major, John, Thomas, James Minor, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon, Thadeas and Matthias.

But the Testimony of that M S, does not much confirm the Opinion, that each Apofl-le compofed an Article of the SyM' hot ; yet the Opinion is, at leaft, as old as St. Leo, W&° feems to have believed it.

Authors are in doubt, why the Name Symbol fhould be given this Compendium of the Articles of the Christian Faith : Some fay, 'tis thus call'd, as being the Mark or Characteristic of a Christian. Othersderive it from an Aftembly or Con- ference of the Apoflles, where each expreffing his Senfe of the Faith, and what each had chiefly preach'd, the Creed was fram'd, and call'd by the Greek Word GvpCohw, which fignifies Collation or Conference. 3 Tis added, that St. Cy- prian is the SirSt who appears to have ufed the Word Symbol in this Senfe.

SYMBOLICAL