{"id":5576,"date":"2021-10-24T14:42:15","date_gmt":"2021-10-24T12:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/?p=5576"},"modified":"2025-04-29T09:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T07:40:46","slug":"sorite-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/sorite-e\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorite"},"content":{"rendered":"

SORITE<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

The word sorite<\/em> comes from the Greek word soros<\/em>, which means, \u201cheap\u201d.
\n<\/span>A sorite is a discourse that progresses by repeating the same syntactic form, with the same discursive function.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. The Sorite Paradox<\/span><\/h2>\n

The sorite of the heap<\/em> is one of the famous paradoxes proposed by Eubulide, a Greek philosopher, contemporary of Aristotle. The paradox progresses by repeating the same action:<\/p>\n

One grain of wheat is not enough to make a heap of wheat, nor two grains, nor three grains, and so on.
\nIn other words, if n<\/strong> grains do not make a heap, then n + 1<\/strong> will not make a heap.
\nSo no number of grains of wheat can make up a heap of wheat.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, and if you take one grain out of a heap of wheat, you still have a heap of wheat, and so on, down to the last grain. So, a grain of wheat is itself a heap of wheat. [1]<\/a>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

This paradox can be illustrated by any collective name: cluster<\/em>, crowd<\/em>, flock<\/em>, army<\/em>, collection<\/em>, bouquet<\/em>, collective<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

2. Rhetorical Sorite
\n<\/span><\/h2>\n

A rhetorical sorite (gradatio<\/em>, climax) is a discourse that progresses by repeating the same cause-effect, begetter-begotten relationship, or simply a temporal sequence of related events, building up to a climax, as in the following poem<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u00a0Cursed be<\/span>
\nThe father of the woman<\/span>
\nOf the blacksmith who forged the iron of the axe<\/span>
\nWith which the woodcutter fell the oak<\/span>
\nIn which was carved the bed<\/span>
\nWhere the great-grandfather was born\u00a0<\/span>
\nOf the man who drove the car<\/span>
\nIn which your mother<\/span>
\nMet your father!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Robert Desnos, [The Dove of the Ark<\/em>], [1923]. [2]<\/a><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Logical Sorite<\/span><\/h2>\n

In logic, the term sorite<\/strong> is sometimes used to refer to a polysyllogism<\/strong><\/a>, a chain of syllogisms in which the conclusion of rhe preceding syllogism is used as a premise for the next.
\nSerial<\/a> argumentation<\/strong> corresponds to the same phenomenon.
\nThe \u00ab\u00a0heap\u00a0\u00bb property is common to sorites properly speaking, to polysyllogism and to linked argumentation, but the mechanisms of concatenation are specific to each case.<\/p>\n

4. Chinese Sorite<\/span><\/h2>\n

The term \u00ab\u00a0Chinese sorite\u00a0\u00bb or \u00ab\u00a0Confucian sorite\u00a0\u00bb is used by Masson-Oursel ([1912], p. 17) to designate \u00ab\u00a0arguments [argumentations<\/em>] expressing a sequence of means implemented by human activity in view of an end\u00a0\u00bb (1912, p. 20). Eno (2016, p.11) speaks of \u201csorite\u201d or \u201cchain syllogism\u201d[2]<\/a>.
\nThe sorite posits a desirable state and considers the stages on way to it. The progressive<\/em> sorite<\/strong> starts from the first stage and proceeds to the final goal.<\/span> The source of the progression may be considered causal, instrumental or indeterminate, in which case the succession appears purely temporal.<\/p>\n

The regressive<\/em> sorite<\/strong> states the goal and enumerates the stages backwards,<\/em> to the first, basic stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the short Confucian treatise The Great Learning<\/em>, a regressive sorite is immediately followed by a progressive sorite with identical content. Regressive sorite<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

In ancient times, those who wished to make bright virtue brilliant in the world first ordered their states; those who wished to order their states first aligned their households; those who wished to align their households first refined their persons; those who wished to refine their persons first balanced their minds; those who wished to balance their minds first perfected the genuineness of their intentions; those who wished to perfect the genuineness of their intentions first extended their understanding; extending one\u2019s understanding lies in aligning affairs.
\nThe Great Learning<\/em>, R. Eno, p. 12<\/p>\n

In the progressive sorite<\/strong>, \u00ab\u00a0the first condition spreads, as it were, into new conditions which arise from each other. Thus, in Mencius IV, 1, \u00a7 27, each term is united with the next by the expression: ‘the main fruit (ch\u0115u) of A is B'\u00a0\u00bb. (Id., p. 19). The preceding regressive sorite corresponds to the following progressive sorite:<\/p>\n

Only after affairs have been aligned may one\u2019s understanding be fully extended. Only after one\u2019s understanding is fully extended may one\u2019s intentions be perfectly genuine. Only after one\u2019s intentions are perfectly genuine may one\u2019s mind be balanced. Only after one\u2019s mind is balanced may one\u2019s person be refined. Only after one\u2019s person is refined may one\u2019s household be aligned. Only after one\u2019s household is aligned may one\u2019s state be ordered. Only after one\u2019s state is ordered may the world be set at peace.
\nThe Great Learning<\/em>. R. Eno, p. 12<\/p>\n

The difference between the progressive and regressive sorites is purely in the textual organization of the steps that make them up. These steps are listed in the form of a parallelism: \u00ab\u00a0if A<\/strong>, then B<\/strong><\/em>\u00ab\u00a0. This expression belongs to the \u00ab\u00a0if… then\u2026<\/em>\u00a0\u00bb family, which is used to indicate the logical implication that gives the sorite the appearance of reasoning. Masson-Oursel proposes a second formulation that expresses the progression (or regression) characteristic of the sorite:<\/p>\n

Each step forward represents an anticipation that is subsequently justified, thanks to the formula: \u00ab\u00a0in view of B<\/strong>, there is a way, a path to follow (yeou tao<\/em>); A<\/strong> being given, then (seu<\/em>) B<\/strong> is given.<\/span> (Masson Oursel, 1912, p. 20).<\/p>\n

These sorites describe a cursus educationis, the Confucian program of education. Progress along this path is not determined by any logical or causal inference. It is a way shown by the master to his privileged disciples, leading to the fulfillment of their human nature.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> The concept of a heap is three-dimensional, typically pyramid-shaped. <\/span>Two or three grains cannot constitute a heap because they do not fit, or fit poorly, on top of each other, the heap is not stable. On the other hand, it is possible to form a heap of four grains, from a base of three grains. Therefore, we could say that the heap of grains starts with four grains.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Robert Desnos, La Colombe de l’Arche, <\/em>1923. In \u0152uvres [Works]<\/em>. Paris: Gallimard, Quarto, 1999, p. 536.<\/span><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> http:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2022\/234242<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SORITE The word sorite comes from the Greek word soros, which means, \u201cheap\u201d. A sorite is a discourse that progresses by repeating the same syntactic form, with the same discursive function. 1. The Sorite Paradox The sorite of the heap is one of the famous paradoxes proposed by Eubulide, a Greek philosopher, contemporary of Aristotle. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-non-classe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5576"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14121,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5576\/revisions\/14121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icar.cnrs.fr\/dicoplantin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}