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Which works make up Aristotle’s Organon?
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Aristotle
Aristotle, detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust (c. 325 bce); in the Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.
Aristotle’s logical writings are collectively known as the Organon, a term meaning "tool," as he viewed logic not as a theoretical science but as a tool used by all sciences. The Organon consists of the following six works:1
- Categories: Discusses 10 basic kinds of entities, including substance, quantity, and quality.1
- De interpretatione (On Interpretation): Covers semantics and the structure of basic propositions.1
- Prior Analytics: Contains the theory of syllogistic reasoning.1
- Posterior Analytics: Presents Aristotle’s theory of scientific demonstration and methodology.1
- Topics: A study of nondemonstrative reasoning and the conduct of arguments.1
- Sophistic Refutations: A discussion of various fallacies, originally intended as a continuation of the Topics.1
While these works are traditionally grouped together, they were not written in this chronological order. Through these texts, Aristotle established a rigorous system of rules for reasoning, marking the beginning of the systematic study of logic.1