sorites
“chain-argument”
idea · 2 works · 3 mentions · 3 anchored passages
brief sayings · corollaries · the heap · this heap of wheat
spoken of as
1 expressionin the texts
Lucullus
The paradox of the heap, used to show that no principled boundary exists for concepts like rich/poor, few/many, and thus that dialectic cannot supply a criterion of truth.
nor only in this heap of wheat, whence the name comes, but in no matter at all, being questioned little by little — whether one is rich, poor, famous, obscure;
That art, then, helps you nothing against the sorites, which teaches neither what, in increasing or diminishing, is first nor what is last.
'"But sorites are faulty.
On Moral Ends
A chain-syllogism form of Stoic argument used to derive that every good is honourable, criticized for smuggling in ungranted premises.
Now I come to those brief sayings of yours, which you said were corollaries;
Aristotle, Xenocrates, that whole family will not give it, since they say that health, strength, riches, glory, and many other things are goods, but do not say they are praiseworthy.
Then there is that sorites, than which you think nothing more faulty: