The Research Centre for Greek Philosophy at the Academy of Athens
Invites you in the course of the Monthly Philosophy Seminar
to the lecture which will take place on
Wednesday 6 December 2023, 16:00-18:00 (ATH, GR timezone).
Speaker: Marko Malink, Professor of Philosophy at New York University,
Topic: Aristotle on reductio ad impossibile: from dialectic to syllogistic logic
Those interested may attend via Zoom.
ABSTRACT
Aristotle on reductio ad impossibile: from dialectic to syllogistic logic
Marko Malink (New York University)
The method of reductio ad impossibile plays an important role in Aristotle’s logical writings. I argue that Aristotle countenances two different conceptions of the method. One is a dialectical conception which is found, e.g., in Topics 8.2 and Prior Analytics 2.11-13. The other is a formal conception which is found, e.g., in Prior Analytics 1.5-7 and 2.14. I will explore how the two conceptions of reductio differ from one another, and why Aristotle prefers to employ the one or the other in a given context. I argue that transitioning from the dialectical to the formal conception is key to his argument in Prior Analytics 2.14 that everything derivable by reductio can be derived by means of a direct deduction.