THE THREE

MENTAL
OPERATIONS
Exploring the Epistemic Foundations of the
Science of Correct Reasoning
The need…
1.  Studying logic entails the understanding of how the mind works.
-  Reasoning as a mental procedure needs to be shown, in a
framework coming from the originary Organon - Aristotle.
3.  These mental operations practically presents the Course
Plantilla in Formal Logic.
-  Familiarity allows one to understand the procedure and the
necessity of undergoing each step so as to achieve the ends
of reasoning.
3. Eventual realization of the limits of logic as a tool to truth and
validity.
The Framework: Formal Logic
ADVANTAGES: WHY FORMAL AND ARISTOTELICO LOGIC?
•  HUMANISTIC IN CHARACTER. Reasoning comes from man, in his
attempt to provide sense in life and his world.
•  Pedagogy: advantageous in teaching students from the
Humanities, Fine Arts and Social Sciences.
•  Curriculum: provides a paradigm that is consistent with the
usual presentation of basic Philosophy Classes: Philosophy of
the Human Person and Ethical Systems.
•  Never a passé. A paradigm that is ever timely and timeless.
Unchanging in substance, flexible in expression.
 T he Acts of the Mind

Simple Apprehension

A PROCEDURE WHERE THE MIND GRASPS A THING

WITHOUT AFFIRMING OR DENYING IT.
SENSE
EXPERIENCE external qualities
internal
COMMON SENSE, MEMORY, IMAGINATION, ESTIMATIVE
FACULTY
 T he Acts of the Mind

Simple Apprehension
IDEA – internal product TERM – expressed product
IDEOGENESIS – birth of an idea

q1 External sense
q2 Idea Term
Internal sense
q3

ABSTRACTION
Stripping off accidents to arrive at being.
- Physical, Mathematical, Metaphysical
Terms Material sign
Word; sensible conventional signs
expressive of an idea.

Tree

Coconut
TREE

COCONUT

ideas Formal sign

Intellectual image/representation of
an essence; the building blocks
knowledge.
 T he Acts of the Mind

Judgment
THE ACT OF THE MIND WHERE TWO APPREHENDED TERMS
ARE JOINED THEN AFFIRMED OR DENIED.

IDENTITY
NON-IDENTITY Materially
expressed: spoken/
written
MENTAL SENTENCE – internal product

Coconut
Tree

COCONUTS ARE
TREES.

PROPOSITION – EXTERNAL PRODUCT

- A statement or a component, standing as one, and
is capable of expressing truth/falsity.
- A plausible premise.
 T he Acts of the Mind

Reasoning
THE ACT OF THE MIND WHERE WE DRAW A CONCLUSION
FROM A GIVEN SET OF VALIDLY DRAWN PREMISES.

THE MIND PROCEEDS TO CERTAIN

KNOWLEDGE BY WAY OF INFERENCE.
 ARGUMENTATION – internal product
- ARGUMENT: group of statements that is claimed
to provide support one of the others.

ALL TREES ARE TALL

ALL COCONUTS
ARE TREES

Ergo: ALL
COCONUTS ARE
TALL.
SYLLOGISM – expressed product.
-  Premises: statements setting forth reason/evidence
-  Conclusion: statement that the evidence is claimed to support or imply.
A, B, C ideas

A is B. proposition
A is B.
C is A. syllogism
: C is B.
The Acts of the Mind and their Features
1ST ACT 2ND ACT 3RD ACT
NAME Simple Apprehension Judgment Reasoning

MENTAL PRODUCT Concept Mental Sentence Argument

LINGUISTIC Term Declarative Sentences Paragraph

EXPRESSION
EXAMPLES “Man”, “Mortal” Socrates is a man. All men are mortal.
Socrates is a man.
Therefore, Socrates is
mortal.

STRUCTURAL PARTS None, unitary Subject Term, Premises, Conclusion

Predicate Term
QUESTION What it is. Whether it is. Why it is.
ANSWERED
ASPECT OF REALITY Essence Existence Cause

GOOD WHEN Clear True Valid

HOW TO ACHIEVE Definition of terms No one way. Rules of Logic
BAD WHEN Unclear False Invalid, Fallacious
QUESTION TO What do you mean? What is your point? Why? (Prove it)
HABITUALLY ASK (Define your terms) (State your
conclusion.)