The Sylogistic Studies of Boecio and Their Thematic Interdependence

Abstract

In this article, the most important hypotheses concerning the doctrinal relation between Boethius' two syllogistic treatises are discussed: De syllogismo categorico and the Introductio ad syllogismos categoricos. By means of a review of both, I discard the hypothesis pointing out a strong dependence and the other hypotheses testing on a weaker dependence. I conclude that the relation between both treatises is more extrinsic than what has been believed up to here, because the second treatise is thought to be an appendage of the first one. The argument is supported on both the apparent lack of utility in using indefinite terms in the premises of a syllogism and the almost entirely absence of textual evidences that a syllogistic with indefinite terms in the premises was developed some time in ancient times.