Page:O. F. Owen's Organon of Aristotle Vol. 2 (1853).djvu/176

 since no one attempts to teach a falsity; but of those who contend, it is necessary that the querist, should altogether seem to do something, but the respondent appear to suffer nothing; yet in dialectic associations it has not yet been distinctly explained by those who dispute, not for the sake of contest, but of experiment and inquiry, what the respondent ought to aim at, also what to concede and what not, in order to preserve the thesis well, or ill)—since then, we have nothing delivered by others, we shall endeavour to say something, ourselves.

The respondent then is required, to sustain the dispute, a probable or improbable thesis, or neither, being laid down, and which is either simply, or definitely, probable, or improbable, as to a certain person, whether himself, or another. In what way it is probable, or improbable, makes no difference, as the method of answering well, and of granting, or not granting, the question, will be the same; if then the thesis is improbable, it is necessary that the conclusion be probable, but if that, is probable, that this, should be improbable, for the querist always concludes the opposite, of the thesis. If however what is laid down, be neither improbable, nor probable, the conclusion also will be of this sort, but since he who syllogizes properly, demonstrates the proposed question, from things more probable and better known, it is evident that when what is laid down, is simply improbable, the respondent must not grant either that which does not seem simply, nor that which seems indeed, but is less apparent than the conclusion, for the thesis being improbable, the conclusion is probable, so that it is necessary that all the assumptions, should be probable, and more so, than what is proposed, if what is less known, is to be concluded, through things better known. Wherefore, except such a thing as this, is amongst the things questioned, it must not be laid down by the respondent, but if the thesis be simply probable, it is clear that the conclusion is simply improbable. Whatever then seems (true) must be laid