Categorical syllogism structure – UGC NET Question

A categorical syllogism consists of exactly three categorical propositions: two premises and a conclusion. It involves three distinct terms arranged so that each term appears in two of the propositions. This structured pattern allows clear rules for assessing validity. Therefore the argument form described is called a categorical syllogism.

Option A:
Option A, enthymeme, is an argument in which one premise or the conclusion is left implicit and so does not fully display all its categorical components. While it may be based on syllogistic reasoning, it is not the complete formal pattern mentioned in the stem.

Option B:
Option B, disjunctive argument, uses a premise containing a disjunction, often combined with another premise to infer something about the disjuncts. It is not characterised by having all statements as categorical propositions. Thus disjunctive argument is not correct.

Option C:
Option C is correct because categorical syllogism precisely names the three-proposition deductive structure made up solely of categorical statements. It forms the backbone of traditional Aristotelian logic.

Option D:
Option D, analogical argument, reasons from similarities between cases and does not require two categorical premises and a categorical conclusion. Therefore analogical argument does not match the form specified.