modal syllogism
Quick Summary
A modal syllogism is a type of syllogism in logic that incorporates modalities. Modalities refer to the classification of propositions based on their assertion of possibility, impossibility, contingency, or necessity. Modal logic, which studies these concepts, originated with Aristotle and was revived in modern times.
A basic approach to modal logic involves adding a primitive operator, such as "L" for necessity, to standard logical systems. From this, other modal operators, like "M" for possibility, can be defined. For example, "M p" can be defined as "not L not p," meaning "it is possible that p" is equivalent to "it is not necessary that not p." Possibility in logic generally implies the absence of contradiction.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
