Prior Analytics

The Prior Analytics is a foundational work by Aristotle that deals with the theory of the syllogism. A syllogism is a method of inference where a conclusion is drawn from two premises. For example, "Every Greek is human. Every human is mortal. Therefore, every Greek is mortal".1

Aristotle categorized propositions into universal (like "Every Greek is human") and particular (like "Some Greek is bearded"). He also identified terms within propositions: the major term is the predicate of the conclusion, the minor term is the subject of the conclusion, and the middle term appears in both premises.1

The Prior Analytics introduces the use of schematic letters to represent argument patterns, a crucial development for the systematic study of inference. Aristotle established rules for valid syllogisms, ensuring that true premises always lead to a true conclusion. This work, part of the larger collection known as the Organon, was considered the entirety of logic for centuries but is now understood as a significant fragment of the field.12