LessonsSemantic Fallacies: Defects of Matter, Form, and PredicationQuiz

الزمان محيط بالحوادث، والفلك محيط بها أيضاً
Time encompasses events, and the celestial sphere also encompasses them.

The alleged conclusion is فالزمان هو الفلك
Therefore time is the celestial sphere.

“Encompassing events” is predicated of both subjects. This resembles figure two, but both premises are affirmative. Figure two requires a difference in quality between its premises. Sharing a predicate cannot establish identity between the subjects.

The celestial-sphere example belongs to classical cosmological discourse; it should not be presented as a confirmed modern physical model.

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The text’s example: time and the celestial sphere

Semantic Fallacies: Defects of Matter, Form, and Predication

الزمان محيط بالحوادث، والفلك محيط بها أيضاً
Time encompasses events, and the celestial sphere also encompasses them.

The alleged conclusion is فالزمان هو الفلك
Therefore time is the celestial sphere.

“Encompassing events” is predicated of both subjects. This resembles figure two, but both premises are affirmative. Figure two requires a difference in quality between its premises. Sharing a predicate cannot establish identity between the subjects.

The celestial-sphere example belongs to classical cosmological discourse; it should not be presented as a confirmed modern physical model.