Visualizing syllogisms: category pattern diagrams versus Venn diagrams

摘要

A new diagrammatic notation for Syllogisms is presented: Category Pattern Diagrams, CPDs. A CPD configures different styles of line segments to simultaneously assign quantification values to categorical variables and relations among them. The design of CPDs attempts to coherently visualize the structure of syllogisms at various conceptual levels. In comparison to Venn Diagrams and conventional verbal expressions of syllogisms, the potential benefits of CPD may include: a relatively straightforward inference method; simple rules for evaluating validity; applicability to multiple (>2) premise syllogisms.