Syllogism

This is a logical argument that says if something is in a minor group that is part of a major group, then that thing exhibits the characteristics of the major group.

• Major premise: All fish can swim
• Minor premise: Nemo is a fish
• Conclusion: Therefore, Nemo can swim

There are some other forms, like the negative form:

• No humans have four legs
• Some mammals have four legs
• Therefore, some mammals are not human

This is really just a restatement of the first form, with the group being “not human.”

Why I Looked It Up

There was a clue in the NY Times crossword:

Logical, as a syllogism

The answer was “VALID.” (I did not solve this – I had to consult a solution page to find it.)

Also, I don’t totally understand the clue. I think it’s saying:

• All logical things are valid
• This is logical
• This is valid

… what?