See also:

• DILEMMA (Gr. &Xuµua, a double proposition, from bi- and aµ(36.vetv)

DILEMMA (Gr. &Xuµua, a See also:

• DOUBLE
• DOUBLE (from the Mid. Eng. duble, the form which gives the present pronunciation, through the Old Er. duble, from Lat. duplus, twice as much)

double proposition, from bi- and aµ(36.vetv)  , a See also:

• TERM

term used technically in See also:

• LOGIC (Xoy1K7, sc. rixvrt, the art of reasoning)

logic, and popularly in See also:

• COMMON

common parlance and See also:

• RHETORIC (Gr. psroperctj TEXvq, the art of the orator)

rhetoric . (r) The latter use has no exact See also:

• DEFINITION (Lat. definitio, from de-finire, to set limits to, describe)

definition, but in See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general it describes a situation wherein from either of two (or more) possible alternatives an unsatisfactory conclusion results . The alternatives are called the " horns " of the See also:

• DILEMMA (Gr. &Xuµua, a double proposition, from bi- and aµ(36.vetv)

dilemma . Thus a nation which has to choose between See also:

• BANKRUPTCY (from Lat. bancus or Fr. banquet table or counter, and Lat. ruptus, broken)

bankruptcy and the repudiation of its debts is on the horns of a dilemma . (2) In logic there is considerable divergence of See also:

• OPINION (Lat. opinio, from opinari, to think)

opinion as to the best definition . See also:

• WHATELY, RICHARD (1787-1863)

Whately defined it as " a conditional See also:

• SYLLOGISM (Gr. ovAAoytvµos, from en', and Xb-yor, an argument resulting from combination, i.e. of premises)

syllogism with two or more antecedents in the See also:

• MAJOR
• MAJOR (Lat. for " greater ")
• MAJOR (or MAIR), JOHN (1470-1550)

major and a disjunctive See also:

• MINOR
• MINOR (Lat. for smaller, lesser)
• MINOR, ROBERT CRANNELL (1839-1904)

minor." Aulus See also:

• GELLIUS, AULUS (c. A.D. 13o-I8o)

Gellius gives an example as follows:—" See also:

• WOMEN

Women are either See also:

• FAIR

fair or ugly; if you marry a fair woman, she will attract other men; if an ugly woman she will not please you; therefore See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage is absurd." From either alternative, an unpleasant result follows . Four kinds of dilemma are admitted: (a) See also:

• SIMPLE

Simple Constructive: If A, then C; if B, then C, but either B or A; therefore C . (b) Simple Destructive: If A is true, B is true; if A is true, C is true; B and C are not both true; therefore A is not true . (c) Complex Constructive: If A, then B; if C, then D; but either A or C; therefore either B or D . (d) Complex Destructive: If A is true, B is true; if C is true, D is true; but B and D are not both true; hence A and C are not both true . The soundness of the dilemmatic See also:

• ARGUMENT

argument in general depends on the alternative possibilities . Unless the alternatives produced exhaust the possibilities of the See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case, the conclusion is invalid .

The logical See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of the argument makes it especially valuable in public speaking, before uncritical audiences . It is, in fact, important rather as a rhetorcial subtlety than as a serious argument . Dilemmist is also a term used to translate Vaibhashikas, the name of a Buddhist school of See also:

• PHILOSOPHY (Gr. gthos, fond of, and vo4 (a, wisdom)

philosophy .