Page:O. F. Owen's Organon of Aristotle Vol. 2 (1853).djvu/230

 that unmusical, since that Coriscus is, will be the same sentence with that this Coriscus is unmusical or musical, which he at one and the same time affirms and denies. Yet perhaps they do not signify the same thing, for neither does the name there, so that there is some difference, if, however, he assigns to the one to mean simply Coriscus, but adds to the other a certain one or this one, it is absurd, for it will not be more in one than in the other, as it is of no consequence to which it is attributed.

Nevertheless, since it is dubious whether he who does not distinguish the ambiguity, is confuted by an elenchus or not, but is allowed in disputations to make a distinction, it is evident that he who does not distinguish, but simply grants the interrogation, errs, wherefore, if not the man himself, yet his argument, resembles a confuted elenchus. It frequently happens, however, that they who see the ambiguity, are unwilling to distinguish from the frequency of those who propose things of this kind, that they may not seem to be morose in every thing, and next, not thinking that the argument depends on this, a person frequently meets with a paradox, wherefore since distinction is allowable, it must not be delayed as we said before.

Unless, indeed, a person makes two interrogations be one, there will not be a paralogism from equivocation and ambiguity, but either an elenchus or not. For what difference is there in asking whether Callias and Themistocles are musicians, or whether to both, being different men, there is one common name? for if that signify more than one, he (who uses it) will ask many things. If, then, it is not right to require that we assume simply, one answer to two questions, it is evidently not becoming to answer simply, any thing equivocal, not even if, as some require, it be true in all; for this is just the same as if it were asked, whether Coriscus and Callias are at home or not? whether both are present or not present? since in both ways the propositions are many. For it does not follow if the assertion is true, that there is on this account