CHAPTER II: 403 is supposed to agree to the idea of the subject and is joined to it by the word is, or are, which is the copula : as all men are sin- ners. But when the predicate is not supposed to agree with the subject, and is disjoined from it by the particles is not, are not, Ac. the proposition is negative ; as man is not innocent : or, no man is innocent. In an affirmative proposition, we assert one thing to belong to another, and, as it were, unite them in thought and word : in negative propositions, we separate one thing from another,, and deny their agreement. It may seem something odd, that two ideas or terms are said to be disjoined, as well as joined by a copula : but if we can but suppose' the negative particles do really belong to the copula of negative propositions, it takes away the harshness of the expres- sion : and to make it yet softer, we may consider that the predi- cate and subject may be properly said to be joined in a form of words as a proposition, by connective particles in grammar' 'or Logic, though they are disjoined in their sense end signification. Every youth . who has learned his grammar, knows there are such words as disjunctive propositions. Several things are worthy our notice on this subject. Nate Ist, As there are some terms, or words, and ideds, (as,/ have shewn before) concerning which it is hard to determine whether they are negative or positive, so there are some propo- fiiti'ons concerning which it may be difficult to say, whether they affirm or deny : as, when we say, Plato was no fool : Cicero was no unskilful orator : Caesar made no expedition to Muscovy : an oyster has no part like an eel : it is not necessary for a physician to speak French : and for u physician to speak French is needless. The sense of these propositions is very plain and easy, though Logicians might squabble 'perhaps a whole day, whether they should rank them under the names of negative or affirmative. 2d, In Latin and English two negatives joined in one sen- tence make an affirmative ; as when we declare no man is not mortal; it is the same as though we said, man is mortal. But in Greek, and oftentimes in French, two negatives make but a stronger denial. 3d, If the mere negative term, not, be added to the copula of an universal affirmative proposition, it reduces it to a particular negative; as all men are not wise, signifies the same as, some men are not,ivise. 4th, In all affirmative propositions, the predicate is taken in its whole comprehension ; that is, every essential part and attri- bute of it is affirmed concerning the subject ; as when I say, a true christian is an honest man, every thing that belongs to hones- ty is affirmed concerning a true christian. 5th, In all negative propositions the predicate is taken in its whole extension ; that is every species and individual that is cou- ,tamed in the general idea of the predicate, is utterly denied con- cc2
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