Supposition in Medieval Logic

Overview

Supposition is a fundamental concept in medieval logic, referring to the way an expression (like a word or phrase) stands for or refers to something in the world, whether it be an object, a concept, or even another expression. It’s a crucial distinction from modern reference, as the supposition of a term could differ from its literal meaning.

Key Concepts

Medieval logicians distinguished between different types of supposition, which significantly impacted the interpretation of propositions:

• Material Supposition: When a term refers to the word itself (e.g., “‘Man’ is a word”).
• Simple Supposition: When a term refers to the universal concept or nature of the thing (e.g., “Man is a species”).
• Personal Supposition: When a term refers to the individual things that fall under the concept (e.g., “Socrates is a man”). This is the most common type, often aligning with modern reference.

Deep Dive: Types of Personal Supposition

Personal supposition itself was further divided:

• Determinate Personal Supposition: The term refers to one or more specific individuals, but not all (e.g., “A man is walking”).
• Indeterminate Personal Supposition: The term refers to any individual thing of that kind, without specifying any particular one (e.g., “Every man is mortal” – ‘man’ refers to any man).
• Confused and Distributed Personal Supposition: This category deals with the scope of the term, especially in relation to quantifiers like ‘all’ or ‘no’. A term is distributed when it refers to all individuals in the class.

Applications

Understanding supposition was vital for:

• Resolving logical puzzles and paradoxes.
• Accurate interpretation of syllogisms and other forms of argumentation.
• Clarifying the meaning of sentences in theological and philosophical debates.

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is equating supposition directly with modern notions of reference. Medieval logicians were concerned with the semantic role of terms within propositions, which could be complex and context-dependent, often leading to subtle distinctions.

FAQs

What is the main difference between simple and personal supposition?

Simple supposition refers to the universal concept, while personal supposition refers to individual instances or members of that concept.

Why was supposition important in medieval logic?

It provided a framework for analyzing the truth conditions and logical relationships between statements by clarifying what terms actually stood for.