Apodictic
Encyclopedia
"Apodictic" or "apodeictic" is an adjectival
expression from Aristotelean logic
that refers to proposition
s that are demonstrable, that are necessarily or self-evidently the case or that, conversely, are impossible. Apodicticity is the corresponding abstract noun, referring to logical certainty.
Apodictic propositions contrast with assertoric
propositions, which merely assert that something is (or is not) the case, and with problematic propositions, which assert only the possibility of something being true. Franz Brentano
writes in The True and the Evident, "judgments may be either assertoric or apodictic. Assertoric
judgments are judgments which are possibly true but are unproven." Apodictic
judgments are judgments which are clearly provable and logically certain. For instance, "Two plus two equals four" is apodictic. "Chicago is larger than Omaha" is assertoric. "A corporation could be wealthier than a country" is problematic. In Aristotelian
logic, "apodictic" is opposed to "dialectic
," as scientific proof is opposed to probable reasoning. Kant
contrasts "apodictic" with "problematic" and "assertoric
" in the Critique of Pure Reason
, page A70/B95.
The expression "apodictic" is also sometimes applied to a style of argumentation in which a person presents his reasoning as being categorically true, even if it is not necessarily so. An example of such a usage might be: "Demonstrate less apodicticity! You haven't considered several facets of the question."
Adjective
In grammar, an adjective is a 'describing' word; the main syntactic role of which is to qualify a noun or noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified....
expression from Aristotelean logic
Syllogism
A syllogism is a kind of logical argument in which one proposition is inferred from two or more others of a certain form...
that refers to proposition
Proposition
In logic and philosophy, the term proposition refers to either the "content" or "meaning" of a meaningful declarative sentence or the pattern of symbols, marks, or sounds that make up a meaningful declarative sentence...
s that are demonstrable, that are necessarily or self-evidently the case or that, conversely, are impossible. Apodicticity is the corresponding abstract noun, referring to logical certainty.
Apodictic propositions contrast with assertoric
Assertoric
An assertoric proposition in Aristotelian logic merely asserts that something is the case, in contrast to problematic propositions which assert the possibility of something being true, or apodeictic propositions which assert things which are necessarily or self-evidently true or false. For...
propositions, which merely assert that something is (or is not) the case, and with problematic propositions, which assert only the possibility of something being true. Franz Brentano
Franz Brentano
Franz Clemens Honoratus Hermann Brentano was an influential German philosopher and psychologist whose influence was felt by other such luminaries as Sigmund Freud, Edmund Husserl, Kazimierz Twardowski and Alexius Meinong, who followed and adapted his views.-Life:Brentano was born at Marienberg am...
writes in The True and the Evident, "judgments may be either assertoric or apodictic. Assertoric
Assertoric
An assertoric proposition in Aristotelian logic merely asserts that something is the case, in contrast to problematic propositions which assert the possibility of something being true, or apodeictic propositions which assert things which are necessarily or self-evidently true or false. For...
judgments are judgments which are possibly true but are unproven." Apodictic
Apodictic
"Apodictic" or "apodeictic" is an adjectival expression from Aristotelean logic that refers to propositions that are demonstrable, that are necessarily or self-evidently the case or that, conversely, are impossible...
judgments are judgments which are clearly provable and logically certain. For instance, "Two plus two equals four" is apodictic. "Chicago is larger than Omaha" is assertoric. "A corporation could be wealthier than a country" is problematic. In Aristotelian
Aristotelianism
Aristotelianism is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work of Aristotle. The works of Aristotle were initially defended by the members of the Peripatetic school, and, later on, by the Neoplatonists, who produced many commentaries on Aristotle's writings...
logic, "apodictic" is opposed to "dialectic
Dialectic
Dialectic is a method of argument for resolving disagreement that has been central to Indic and European philosophy since antiquity. The word dialectic originated in Ancient Greece, and was made popular by Plato in the Socratic dialogues...
," as scientific proof is opposed to probable reasoning. Kant
KANT
KANT is a computer algebra system for mathematicians interested in algebraic number theory, performing sophisticated computations in algebraic number fields, in global function fields, and in local fields. KASH is the associated command line interface...
contrasts "apodictic" with "problematic" and "assertoric
Assertoric
An assertoric proposition in Aristotelian logic merely asserts that something is the case, in contrast to problematic propositions which assert the possibility of something being true, or apodeictic propositions which assert things which are necessarily or self-evidently true or false. For...
" in the Critique of Pure Reason
Critique of Pure Reason
The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant, first published in 1781, second edition 1787, is considered one of the most influential works in the history of philosophy. Also referred to as Kant's "first critique," it was followed by the Critique of Practical Reason and the Critique of Judgement...
, page A70/B95.
The expression "apodictic" is also sometimes applied to a style of argumentation in which a person presents his reasoning as being categorically true, even if it is not necessarily so. An example of such a usage might be: "Demonstrate less apodicticity! You haven't considered several facets of the question."