Abstract

In a brilliant article published in a past issue of the Transactions, Jorge A. Flórez examines Peirce’s theory of the origin of abduction in Aristotle. In the article Flórez makes two substantial points. In the first place, he argues that Peirce’s theory of the origin of abduction in the 25th chapter of the second book of the Prior Analytics is mistaken, because in that chapter Aristotle discusses first-figure syllogisms with a dialectic or contingent minor premise, and not, as Peirce thought, second-figure syllogisms. The second substantial point that Flórez makes is that something having the form of a Peircean abduction is rather to be found in the 13th chapter of the first book of the Posterior Analytics...