nanalysed without affecting the
simplicity of the argument or in any way obscuring the exhibition
of its turning-point, has an important bearing on the reduction of
Modals. The modality may be treated as part of the predicate without
in any way obscuring what it is the design of the syllogism to make
clear. We have only to bear in mind that however the predicate may be
qualified in the premisses, the same qualification must be transferred
to the conclusion. Otherwise we should have the fallacy of Four Terms,
_quaternio terminorum_.

To raise the question: What is the proper form for a Modal of
Possibility, A or I? is to clear up in an important respect our
conceptions of the Universal proposition, "Victories may be gained
by accident". Should this be expressed as A or I? Is the predicate
applicable to All victories or only to Some? Obviously the meaning is
that of any victory it may be true that it was gained by accident, and
if we treat the "mode" as part of the predicate term "things that may
be gained by accident," the form of the proposition is All S is in P.

But, it may be asked, does not the proposition that victories may be
gained by accident rest, as a matter of fact, on the belief that some
victories have been gained in this way? And is not, therefore, the
proper form of proposition Some S is P?

This, however, is a misunderstanding. What we are concerned with is
the formal analysis of propositions as given. And Some victories have
been gained by accident is not the formal analysis of Victories may be
gained by accident. The two propositions do not give the same meaning
in different forms: the meaning as well as the form is different.
The one is a statement of a matter of fact: the other of an inference
founded on it. The full significance of the Modal proper may be stated
thus: In view of the fact that some victories have been gained by
accident, we are entitled to say of any victory, in the absence of
certain knowledge, that it may be one of them.

A general proposition, in short, is a proposition about a genus, taken
universally.

II.--SECOND FIGURE.

For testing arguments from general principles, the First Figure is the
simplest and best form of analysis.

But there is one common class of arguments that fall naturally,
as ordinarily expressed, into the Second Figure, namely, negative
conclusions from the absence of distinctive signs or symptoms, or
necessary conditions.

Thirst, for example, i