Short Piece on Singular Judgments

Abstract

According to their quantity, judgments are classified in universals and particulars. Singular judgments can be deemed either universal or particular. This ambivalence translates in epistemic and formal intricacies. For instance, it is not clear where to locate them in the square of opposition, as a result of which we cannot draw the same inferences we observe amongst the other type of judgements.

This presentation offers a review of the aspects that turn singular judgments into a challenge, both epistemically and formally. We shall see Aristotle´s definition of singular judgments; Scholastic approach to quantity of the subject and predicate; epistemic implications highlighted by Kant; and their translation into a propositional function in the context of propositional calculus.