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In logic, a contradiction occurs when two statements are opposed in both quantity and quality, meaning one is universal and the other particular, with one being an affirmation and the other a denial. For instance, "Every S is P" and "Some S is not P" are contradictories. A fundamental principle in logic, the law of contradiction, states that a thing cannot simultaneously be and not be of a specified kind or in a specified manner. This means that two contradictory statements cannot both be true; if one is true, the other must be false. Contradictions can also refer to a statement that asserts both the truth and falsity of something, or a situation where inherent factors are inconsistent. The study of logic, particularly formal logic, examines the validity of arguments and the relationships between propositions, ensuring that conclusions logically follow from premises without self-contradiction.1234

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