THE SQUARE OF

OPPOSITION
BY : SANCHEZ,
KIEN
AND
VELUZ, JOHN
MICHAEL

The Square of Opposition in Aristotelian logic is a diagram

representing the different ways in which each of the four
propositions. A(universal affirmatives), E(universal negatives),
I(particular affirmatives), and O(particular negatives).

Lets recall the four propositions.

A - All S is P
E - No S is P
I - Some S are P
O - Some S are not P

subaltern

contrary

subaltern

contradictory

I
subcontrary

A is contradicting O. E is the contrary of A. I is the

sub-altern of A while O is the sub-altern of E. The
sub-contrary of I is O. And I is contradicting E.

The square was also supplemented by the following explanations:

-

Two propositions are contradictory if they cannot be both true

and cannot be both false.

Two propositions are contraries if they cannot be both true but

can be both false.

Two propositions are sub-contraries if they cannot be both false

but can be both true.

A proposition is a sub-altern of another if it must be true if its

superaltern is true, and the superaltern must be false if its subaltern is false.

Note: the superaltern is the universal statement of the particular

statement (in reverse; it is the sub altern)