What is the law of distribution?

Philosophy Formal Logic Questions



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What is the law of distribution?

The law of distribution, also known as the law of distribution of terms, is a principle in formal logic that governs the distribution of terms in categorical propositions. It states that in a universal affirmative proposition (A proposition), the subject term is distributed, meaning it refers to all members of its class. In a universal negative proposition (E proposition), both the subject and predicate terms are distributed. In a particular affirmative proposition (I proposition), neither the subject nor the predicate term is distributed. And in a particular negative proposition (O proposition), only the predicate term is distributed.