Page:O. F. Owen's Organon of Aristotle Vol. 1 (1853).djvu/322

 through this, and that is more credible through which (a thing is demonstrated). Also the demonstration which is through fewer things is therefore better, cæteris paribus; both then are demonstrated through three terms, and two propositions, but the one assumes that something is, and the other, that something is and is not, hence through a greater number of things (the demonstration is made) so that it is the worse.

Moreover since it has been shown impossible for a syllogism to be produced with both propositions negative, but that one must of necessity be such (negative), and the other that a thing is present with, (that is affirmative,) we must in addition to this assume this, for it is necessary that affirmative (propositions) when the demonstration is increased, should become more, but it is impossible that the negatives should be more than one in every syllogism. For let A be present with nothing of those with which B is, but B be present with every C, if indeed, again, it should be necessary to increase both propositions, a middle must be introduced. Of A B then let the middle be D, but of B C let the middle be E, E then is evidently affirmative, but D is affirmative indeed of B, yet is placed negatively as regards A, since it is necessary that D should be present with every B, but A with no D; there is then one negative proposition, viz. A D. The same mode also subsists in other syllogisms, for the middle of affirmative terms is always affirmative in respect of both (extremes), but in the case of a negative (syllogism), the middle must be necessarily negative in respect to one of the two, so there is one proposition of this kind, but the others are affirmative. If then that is more known and credible through which a thing is demonstrated, but the negative is shown through the