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CHAPTER XV

MEDIATE INFERENCE -- THE SYLLOGISM
TRUE inference always contains an element of mediation.
It is the process of grounding a judgment upon some other
judgment essentially related to it, and which stands as the
warrant of its truth. The reference of a judgment to an.
other judgment as its ground implies a knowledge of a
third judgment which expresses a universal and necessary
connection between the two. The complete process of me-
diate inference, therefore, consists in exhibiting a judgment
as the necessary result of the combination of two other
judgments. Thus, the judgment that a certain heap of
black sand is magnetic is justified when referred to its
ground, namely, that it attracts iron filings. To complete
the process, however, a third judgment is necessary, which
shall express the constant bond of connection between the
given judgment and its alleged ground, such as the judg-
ment that whatever attracts iron is magnetic.This form which mediate inference naturally takes is the
syllogism, which is a process of combining two judgments so
as to produce a third. The above judgments expressed in
syllogistic form would be: --
Whatever attracts iron is a magnet.
This black sand attracts iron.
∴This black sand is a magnet.

It will be observed that the two judgments which combine
to produce the third have a term in common. This is the
middle term of the syllogism. Moreover, the third judg-
ment is formed by eliminating middle term and taking

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Publication Information: Book Title: Logic, Deductive and Inductive. Contributors: John Grier Hibben - author. Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1905. Page Number: 122.
    
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