LessonsPredication, Types of Categorical Proposition and Negated TermsQuiz

“Human is a species” was a natural proposition in the earlier distinction, because its predicate concerns a nature itself. “Human is universal” now illustrates a mental proposition, because universality pertains to a concept considered in the intellect.

Both concern something other than humans taken one by one as individuals, but the questions differ.

Natural: Is the judgment about the nature itself or its instances?
Mental: Is the judgment made concerning the concept as mental rather than external?

The two labels should not be treated as automatically synonymous.

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Mental and natural: related but distinct

Predication, Types of Categorical Proposition and Negated Terms

“Human is a species” was a natural proposition in the earlier distinction, because its predicate concerns a nature itself. “Human is universal” now illustrates a mental proposition, because universality pertains to a concept considered in the intellect.

Both concern something other than humans taken one by one as individuals, but the questions differ.

Natural: Is the judgment about the nature itself or its instances?
Mental: Is the judgment made concerning the concept as mental rather than external?

The two labels should not be treated as automatically synonymous.