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Which six works make up Aristotle’s Organon?
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Ancient logic
Zeno's paradox, illustrated by Achilles' racing a tortoise.
Aristotle’s logical writings are collectively known as the Organon (meaning "tool"), reflecting his view that logic serves as a foundational instrument for all sciences rather than a theoretical science itself. The six works that comprise the Organon are:1
- Categories: Discusses Aristotle’s 10 basic kinds of entities, such as substance, quantity, and quality.1
- De interpretatione (On Interpretation): Covers his semantics and the structure of basic propositions.1
- Prior Analytics: Contains his theory of syllogistic reasoning.1
- Posterior Analytics: Presents his theory of scientific demonstration and methodology.1
- Topics: An early work examining nondemonstrative reasoning and the conduct of arguments.1
- Sophistic Refutations: A study of various types of fallacies.1