The Definition And Explanation of Contradictory Propositions
Abstract
This article aims to examine the contradictory propositions, a type of opposition within the tasawwurāt section of the classical Aristotelian logic tradition, from both theoretical and historical perspectives, and to present their place in the history of classical logic in a clearer and more systematic framework. Contradictory propositions express a necessary logical relationship between the truth of one proposition and the falsity of its contradictory counterpart. In this context, the central problem of the study is to determine between which types of propositions contradiction arises and under what conditions it occurs. The study adopts not only a descriptive approach but also an analytical and justificatory method supported by logical examples. The scope of the research is limited to categorical propositions, where contradictory relations become most apparent; hypothetical and modal propositions are excluded. The analysis systematically addresses the conditions under which contradiction arises, focusing on aspects such as quality (affirmative/negative), quantity (universal/particular), specificity (khāṣṣ), and indeterminate (muhmalah). Methodologically, the study is based on comparative analysis and textual examination, evaluating the views of logicians from different historical periods in chronological order. In this framework, the perspectives of classical thinkers such as Abū Naṣr al-Fārābī (d. 951), Ibn Sīnā (d. 1037), al-Ghazālī (d. 1111), and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 1210), along with later logicians such as Afḍal al-Dīn al-Khūnajī (d. 1248), Athīr al-Dīn al-Abharī (d. 1265), Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī (d. 1274), Najm al-Dīn al-Kātibī (d. 1277), Sirāj al-Dīn al-Urmawī (d. 1283), and Shams al-Dīn al-Samarqandī (d. 1303), are examined in a comparative fashion.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
History of Ideas
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Enver Şahin
*
0000-0001-6905-8671
Türkiye
Publication Date
April 30, 2026
Submission Date
September 2, 2025
Acceptance Date
January 29, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 14 Number: 1