Diairesis
Sign in to saveDiairesis (, "division") is a form of classification used in ancient (especially Platonic) logic that serves to systematize concepts and come to definitions. When defining a concept using diairesis, one starts with a broad concept, then divides this into two or more specific sub-concepts, and this procedure is repeated until a definition of the desired concept is reached. Aristotle makes extensive use of diaresis in categorization as basis for syllogizing. He makes clear, however, that definition by diaresis does not in itself prove anything. Apart from this definition, the procedure also resu
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Vinony's link graph records 136 inbound references to Diairesis, and connects out to stoicism, Gaius Musonius Rufus and Aristotle.
Vinony files it under Ancient Greek logic, Classification systems and Concepts in ancient Greek epistemology.
Vinony links it to 11 Wikipedia language editions.
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6 sectionsContents
- Plato's method of definition
- The method of ''diairesis'' in the history of philosophy
- Forerunners of Plato
- Later exponents of the method of ''diairesis''
- References
- External links
Diairesis (, "division") is a form of classification used in ancient (especially Platonic) logic that serves to systematize concepts and come to definitions. When defining a concept using diairesis, one starts with a broad concept, then divides this into two or more specific sub-concepts, and this procedure is repeated until a definition of the desired concept is reached. Aristotle makes extensive use of diaresis in categorization as basis for syllogizing. He makes clear, however, that definition by diaresis does not in itself prove anything. Apart from this definition, the procedure also results in a taxonomy of other concepts, ordered according to a general–specific relation.
The founder of diairesis as a method was Plato. Later ancient logicians (including Aristotle) and practitioners of other ancient sciences have employed diairetic modes of classification, e.g., to classify plants in ancient biology.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Diairesis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.