tly applicable only to general terms. In the above
examples, then, 'Queen,' 'Black Watch,' 'apes,' and 'truth' are all
distributed terms. Indeed, a simple definition of the Universal
Proposition is 'one whose subject is distributed.'

A Particular Proposition is one that has a general term for its subject,
whilst its predicate is not affirmed or denied of everything the subject
denotes; in other words, it is one whose subject is not distributed: as
_Some lions inhabit Africa_.

In ordinary discourse it is not always explicitly stated whether
predication is universal or particular; it would be very natural to say
_Lions inhabit Africa_, leaving it, as far as the words go, uncertain
whether we mean _all_ or _some_ lions. Propositions whose quantity is
thus left indefinite are technically called 'preindesignate,' their
quantity not being stated or designated by any introductory expression;
whilst propositions whose quantity is expressed, as _All
foundling-hospitals have a high death-rate_, or _Some wine is made from
grapes_, are said to be 'predesignate.' Now, the rule is that
preindesignate propositions are, for logical purposes, to be treated as
particular; since it is an obvious precaution of the science of proof,
in any practical application, _not to go beyond the evidence_. Still,
the rule may be relaxed if the universal quantity of a preindesignate
proposition is well known or admitted, as in _Planets shine with
reflected light_--understood of the planets of our solar system at the
present time. Again, such a proposition as _Man is the paragon of
animals_ is not a preindesignate, but an abstract proposition; the
subject being elliptical for _Man according to his proper nature_; and
the translation of it into a predesignate proposition is not _All men
are paragons_; nor can _Some men_ be sufficient, since an abstract can
only be adequately rendered by a distributed term; but we must say, _All
men who approach the ideal_. Universal real propositions, true without
qualification, are very scarce; and we often substitute for them
_general_ propositions, saying perhaps--_generally, though not
universally, S is P_. Such general propositions are, in strictness,
particular; and the logical rules concerning universals cannot be
applied to them without careful scrutiny of the facts.

The marks or predesignations of Quantity commonly used in Logic are: for
Universals, _All_, _Any_, _Every_, _Whatever_ (in the negative _No_ or