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| Paragraph 1 |
Inasmuch as no rules are laid down for those who argue for the
sake of training and of examination: |
| Paragraph 2 |
The thesis laid down by the answerer before facing the
questioner's argument is bound of necessity to be one that is either
generally accepted or generally rejected or else is neither: |
| Paragraph 3 |
Now since a man who reasons correctly demonstrates his
proposed conclusion from premisses that are more generally accepted,
and more familiar, it is clear that: |
| Paragraph 4 |
(1) where the view laid down by
him is one that generally is absolutely rejected, the answerer ought
not to grant either what is thus absolutely not accepted at all, or
what is accepted indeed, but accepted less generally than the
questioner's conclusion. |
| Paragraph 5 |
(2) If, on the other
hand, the statement laid down by the answerer be generally accepted
without qualification, clearly the conclusion sought by the
questioner
will be one generally rejected without qualification. |
| Paragraph 6 |
(3)
Likewise, too, if the statement laid down by the answerer be neither
rejected generally nor generally accepted; |
| Paragraph 7 |
If, then, the
view laid
down by the answerer be one that is generally accepted or rejected
without qualification, then the views that are accepted absolutely
must be taken as the standard of comparison: |