ATC |
OPPOSITES |
Argument scheme of the opposites:
« If A is B, then neg-A is neg-B. »
« Since my life has been useless, I wish that my death serves some purpose. »
Just as there was a system of thought based on analogy during the Renaissance, there is also a system of thought based on opposites.
Book of Rites- LIJI
One of the « Five classics » associated with Confucianism. Written before
Liji, Chapter 1, « Elements of propriety«
You should know the weakness of the man you loved and know the strength of the man you hated.
Liji – On Propriety [ Social and Individual Behavior]. Compiled by Dai Sheng. Translated by Luo Zhiye. P. 1.
Han Fei Tse
Han Fei Tzi, Section 6, “On having standards”
Punishment of error does not avoid the great ministers, reward for good does not overlook commoners
The linguistic paralelism serves the topos of the opposites.
| punishment [of error] | does not avoid | great ministers |
| reward [for good | does not overlook | commoners |
Han Fei Tzi, Section 6, “On having standards”; quoted and translated by A. C. Graham, 1989; 2 ed. 1991, p. 277.
Wang Chong (27-97 ce)
Wang Chung, « Four Things to be Avoided ».
There are four things which, according to public opinion, must be avoided by all means. The first is to build an annex to a building on the west side, for such an annex is held to be inauspicious, and being so, is followed by a case of death. Owing to this apprehension, nobody in the world would dare to build facing the west. This prohibition dates from days of yore. […]
On all the four sides of a house there is earth; how is it that three sides are not looked upon as of ill omen, and only an annex in the west is said to be unpropitious? How could such an annex be injurious to the body of earth. or hurtful to the spirit of the house? In case an annex in the west be unpropitious, would a demolition there be a good augury? Or, if an annex in the west be inauspicious, would it be a lucky omen in the east? For if there be something inauspicious, there must also be something auspicious, as bad luck has good luck as its correlate. […]
Statement to refute : “to build an annex on the west side is unpropitious »
The statement « to build an annex on the west side » admits two pairs of opposites, contrasting the predicate ”bring bad luck » with
1) the opposite action (demolish) in the same place (the west)
2) the same action (building) in another location (the east)
| building a wing | on the west side | brings bad luck |
| demolishing a wing | on the west side | brings good luck |
| building a wing | on the east side | brings good luck |
[1] Wang Chung, Four Things to be Avoided. In Lun-hêng, “Balanced Discussions”, Book XXIII, Ch. III, 68. Translation and notes by Alfred Forke, Leipzig, 1906. Reprinted by Paragon Book Gallery, New York, 1962. (p. 793-794). Quoted from http://classiques.uqac.ca/classiques/wang_chung/lunheng/wangchung_lunheng.pdf
Liu Hsieh, c. 465–522 ce
XXXV, Linguistic parallelism (Li-tz’u) (p. 251)
Crime: when in doubt, then deem it light. Merit: when in doubt, then deem it heavy.
The linguistic paralelism serves the topos of the opposites
| crime | deem | light |
| merit | deem | heavy |
Generalization
Based on syntactic and lexical oppositions, the topos of the opposites is a good candidate to universality.