A Critique of the Immediate Argument

In nature, sometimes one cell from a living organism combines with another cell, producing a new organism. In the realm of mind also, propositions combine with each other and produce new knowledge. Furthermore, in nature, sometimes one cell produces another organism without combining with another one. The question is whether the same process can be repeated in the domain of arguments, that is, one proposition, without the help of another one, produces a new one. Some logicians believe that such a process is possible, and they call it "immediate argument" over against other types which are called "mediated arguments". Reviewing the rules governing propositions, the author in this article tackles the genealogy of immediate argument. He shows the inconsistency of this theory, and tries to conclude its falsity through arguments. After reflecting on some works by Ibn Sinā and Khādjeh Naṣir, the article makes an attempt to criticize De Morgan's idea regarding the universality of the deductive theory.