Page:O. F. Owen's Organon of Aristotle Vol. 2 (1853).djvu/171

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has lost knowledge, has forgotten, because the thing failing, he has lost indeed knowledge, yet has not forgotten removing: then that, in which the objection consists, we must assert the remainder, as if, the thing remaining, he has lost knowledge, (we must say) that he has forgotten. Likewise, also, against those who object that a greater evil is opposed to a greater good, for they advance this, that to health being a less good than good bodily habit, a greater evil is opposed, since disease is a greater evil than cachexy, therefore in this case also we must take away that in which the objection consists, for when it is removed, the person would more readily concede, as that a greater evil is opposed to a greater good, unless one thing co-introduces another, as a good bodily habit, does health. Still, not only must this be done when there is an objection, but also if without an objection there should be a denial, from foreseeing something of this kind, since when that is removed in which the objection lies, (the objector) will be obliged to concede from his not foreseeing in the remainder, as to what particular thing it is not so, but if he should not concede when he is asked for his objection, he will not be able to allege it. Propositions indeed of this kind are such as are partly false and partly true, for in these it is possible, when we have taken away, to leave the remainder true; nevertheless, if (when interrogating), he proposes in many things, (the other) does not adduce an objection, concession must be claimed, since the proposition is dialectic, against which thus subsisting in many things there is not an objection.

When we can syllogistically infer the same thing, both without and through the impossible, it signifies nothing to him, who demonstrates, and does not dispute, whether the syllogism be in this, or in that way, but a syllogism through the impossible must not be used by him, who disputes against another. For no doubt can exist, if he syllogizes without the impossible, but when the impossible is inferred, except the falsity be very evident, they say that it is not impossible, so that the interrogators do not obtain what they desire.