2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

25 logic should be used, as opposed to emotion, to decipher ‘knowledge’. However, whereas Plato believed that belief must be accompanied by a logical account, Aristotle took the concept a step further, and created a method by which this ‘logic’ could be defined. He divulged the theory of ‘syllogism’, being a process of extrapolation, following the format:

1. X is Y 2. Y is Z 3. Therefore, X is Z

This format was referred to by Aristotle as the perfect deduction. He stated that such a deduction is ‘ an argument in which when certain things are laid down something else follows of necessity in virtue of their being so’ (Shields, 2016). He believed that this structure of the format would guarantee the validity of the deduction, whether the information is incorrect or correct (Shields, 2016). This format ensures that as long as X is Y, and Y is Z, then purely out of necessity, X will be Z. The argument Aristotle resented for syllogisms is that by making the two separate initial statements, the deduction cannot be rejected without contradicting oneself (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2013). This theory has been continued in Western thinking throughout history, as seen in the development of the Venn diagram. Combined with Plato’s theory that knowledge is deduced through logical discussion, Aristotle’s syllogisms have provided a pathway to finding new, valid knowledge throughout history. Appendix 2: Beginning in the 14 th century, the Renaissance began in Florence, Italy, where there were large amounts of wealth. This meant that members of the public could afford to support growing artists, therefore boosting the cultural exploration and development in Italy.