The Death of Marcus Aurelius

The Death of Marcus Aurelius

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Wisdom from the Early Stoics, Zeno of Citium 45


An inferential proposition is true if starting from a true premise it also has a consequent conclusion, as e.g. "Since it is day, the sun is above the horizon." 

But it is false if it starts from a false premise or has an inconsequent conclusion, as e.g. "Since it is night, Dion is walking," if this be said in daytime. 

A causal proposition is true if its conclusion really follows from a premise itself true, though the premise does not follow conversely from the conclusion, as e.g. "Because it is day, it is light," where from the "it is day" the "it is light" duly follows, though from the statement "it is light" it would not follow that "it is day." 

But a causal proposition is false if it either starts from a false premise or has an inconsequent conclusion or has a premise that does not correspond with the conclusion, as e.g. "Because it is night, Dion is walking." 

Diogenes Laërtius, 7.74 



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