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Illicit Minor

Disciplines > Argument > Fallacies > Illicit Minor

Description | Discussion | Example | See also

Description

All X are Y. All X are P. Therefore all P are Y.

Unspoken assumption: All P are X.

Example

All New Yorkers are beautiful. All New Yorkers are intelligent. Therefore all intelligent people are beautiful.

Discussion

This is a particular case of categorical syllogism, where the second statement is assumed to be reversible. In the example, it is assumed that the statement about New Yorkers and intelligence is reversible (all intelligent people live in New York).

More formally, the subject (P) in the conclusion (All P are Y) refers to all members of at category, but the same term (P) in the minor premise (All X are P) refers only to some members of that category.

The 'Minor' in the name is the minor premise, the second statement in the syllogism.

Classification

Assumptive, Syllogistic