Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Sophistical Refutations

Translated by W. A. Pickard-Cambridge

Chapter 21

Accentuation gives rise to no fallacious arguments, either as written or as spoken, except perhaps some few that might be made up; e.g. the following argument. ‘Is ου καταλυεις a house?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Is then ου καταλυεις the negation of καταλυεις?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘But you said that ου καταλυεις is a house: therefore the house is a negation.’ How one should solve this, is clear: for the word does not mean the same when spoken with an acuter and when spoken with a graver accent.

Chapter 20

Chapter 22