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Sorites (Chained Syllogism)
A polysyllogism where the conclusion of each syllogism becomes a premise of the next, linking multiple premises to a single final conclusion.
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A polysyllogism where the conclusion of each syllogism becomes a premise of the next, linking multiple premises to a single final conclusion.
A sorites is a special kind of polysyllogism: a sequence of propositions P1, P2, ..., Pn such that each Pi shares a term with Pi+1 (the predicate of one is the subject of the next), allowing them to be chained. The final conclusion connects the subject of the first premise to the predicate of the last. This differs from a single syllogism (which has exactly two premises) and from unrelated premise lists (which share no linking terms). Sorites arguments are common in law and science where a long causal or categorical chain compresses multiple steps into one result.
All A are B; All B are C; All C are D; ... ∴ All A are Z
- All dogs are mammals; all mammals are vertebrates; all vertebrates are animals ∴ all dogs are animals
- All athletes train daily; all who train daily get fit; all who get fit perform well ∴ all athletes perform well
- All cats are felines; all felines are carnivores; all carnivores eat meat ∴ all cats eat meat
How to recognize it
- More than two premises with a chain of shared terms
- Each premise's predicate reappears as the next premise's subject
- The final conclusion bridges the first subject to the last predicate
Common mistakes
- Allowing a broken chain (two premises that share no term)
- Introducing a quantifier shift (some → all) mid-chain
- Confusing with an enthymeme (which has a missing premise, not extra ones)