Diogenes Laërtius · fl. 3rd century CE
Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.71 — Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Translation by R. D. Hicks (1925)
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.71
Reported speech · Diogenes Laërtius on the Stoics
Of propositions that are not simple the hypothetical, according to Chrysippus in his Dialectics and Diogenes in his Art of Dialectic, is one that is formed by means of the conditional conjunction “If.” Now this conjunction promises that the second of two things follows consequentially upon the first, as, for instance, “If it is day, it is light.” An inferential proposition according to Crinis in his Art of Dialectic is one which is introduced by the conjunction “Since” and consists of an initial proposition and a conclusion; for example, “Since it is day-time, it is light.” This conjunction guarantees both that the second thing follows from the first and that the first is really a fact.
Cite this passage
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.71 (on the Stoics), tr. R. D. Hicks (1925)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/lives-of-the-stoics/7.71
Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VII, tr. R. D. Hicks (Loeb, 1925). Text: Perseus Digital Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesDefines the if-then statement, which promises that the second part follows from the first, and the since statement, which also guarantees that the first part is actually true. Logic terminology with no practical advice.
Older wording
- “conditional conjunction”
- — a joining word such as if that sets a condition
- “inferential proposition”
- — a since statement that asserts both the premise and the conclusion
Themes and situations
- Judgements and impressions
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