Minor: Every square is a shape.
Major: No shape is a sound.
Valid conclusion: No square is a sound.
The claim “Every square is a sound” contradicts the universal exclusion stated by the major premise.
In the first figure, the minor must be affirmative to establish connection through the middle. If the major is universally negative, the conclusion is negative, whether the minor is universal or particular.
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The First Figure: Conditions of Validity and Four Productive Moods
Minor: Every square is a shape.
Major: No shape is a sound.
Valid conclusion: No square is a sound.
The claim “Every square is a sound” contradicts the universal exclusion stated by the major premise.
In the first figure, the minor must be affirmative to establish connection through the middle. If the major is universally negative, the conclusion is negative, whether the minor is universal or particular.