Fallacies

<p><em>Fallacies</em> by William of Ockham (AD 1287-1347) is the last book (Part 3 Book 4) of the <em>Summa Logicae </em>(Summary of Logic) a medieval textbook on syllogistic logic which is divided into three parts: terms propositions and syllogisms broadly speaking.</p><p></p><p><em>Fallacies</em> is the medieval nominalistʼs response to Aristotleʼs <em>Sophistical Refutations (De Sophisticis Elenchis)</em>. It treats of the fallacies of equivocation amphibology composition and division accent figure of speech <em>secundum quid et simpliciter</em> among others.</p><p></p><p>A Franciscan monk philosopher and logician William of Ockham is widely considered the father of nominalism. The <em>Summa Logicae</em> is his principal treatise on the subject. From a nominalistic point of view it takes a fresh look at Aristotleʼs <em>Categories Interpretation </em>and<em> Topics </em>as contained in the<em> Organon; </em>and it rejects the idea of universals as things having an independent existence outside the mind (as originally advanced by Plato).</p>