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Quantified proposition المَحْصُورَة

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Quantified proposition

al-maḥṣūra

المَحْصُورَة

A (maḥṣūra) states, by a (sūr), whether the judgement covers all or some of the .

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In a picture

The four quantified propositions, drawn as circles. The shaded part is what the proposition says exists.

Explanation

The four forms: (“every”), (“no”), (“some”) and (“not every”).

A about one individual is (shakhṣiyya); one without a is (muhmala), and is treated as .

Also written as: mahsura, quantified proposition, sur.

In the text

وَكُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُمَا إِمَّا مَخْصُوصَةٌ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَا، وَإِمَّا كُلِّيَّةٌ مُسَوَّرَةٌ كَقَوْلِنَا: كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ كَاتِبٌ، وَلَا شَيْءَ مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ بِكَاتِبٍ، وَإِمَّا جُزْئِيَّةٌ مُسَوَّرَةٌ كَقَوْلِنَا: بَعْضُ الإِنْسَانِ كَاتِبٌ، وَبَعْضُ الإِنْسَانِ لَيْسَ بِكَاتِبٍ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ كَذَلِكَ وَتُسَمَّى: مُهْمَلَةً كَقَوْلِنَا: الإِنْسَانُ كَاتِبٌ، وَالإِنْسَانُ لَيْسَ بِكَاتِبٍ.Each of the two is either singular, as in the examples given; or universal with a quantifier, as in “Every human is a writer” and “No human is a writer”; or particular with a quantifier, as in “Some human is a writer” and “Some human is not a writer”; or neither, and then it is called indefinite, as in “Man is a writer” and “Man is not a writer.”وَالْمَحْصُورَتَانِ لَا يَتَحَقَّقُ التَّنَاقُضُ بَيْنَهُمَا إِلَّا بَعْدَ اخْتِلَافِهِمَا فِي الْكَمِّيَّةِ، لِأَنَّ الْكُلِّيَّتَيْنِ قَدْ تَكْذِبَانِ كَقَوْلِنَا: كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ كَاتِبٌ، وَلَا شَيْءَ مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ بِكَاتِبٍ، وَالْجُزْئِيَّتَيْنِ قَدْ تَصْدُقَانِ كَقَوْلِنَا: بَعْضُ الإِنْسَانِ كَاتِبٌ، وَبَعْضُ الإِنْسَانِ لَيْسَ بِكَاتِبٍ.Between two quantified propositions there is contradiction only when they differ in quantity, because two universals can both be false, as in “Every human is a writer” and “No human is a writer”, and two particulars can both be true, as in “Some human is a writer” and “Some human is not a writer.”

Examples

كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ حَيَوَانٌEvery human is an animal ()

Related terms

Practise

Test yourself on propositions.

Go to practice · 8 questions

Test yourself

3 questions. With 6 out of 10 or more (two stars) the next term opens.

Question 1
What makes a proposition quantified (maḥṣūra)?
Question 2
Which form is “Not every body is metal”?
Question 3
“Man is a writer” has no quantifier. What is it called, and how is it treated?
الإِنْسَانُ كَاتِبٌ

Next: Conditional proposition الشَّرْطِيَّة