Entry on Aristotle in The History of Formal Logic
This is exactly the type of book I have been looking for!
BC15 .B643 1970
Bochenski, I. M. History of Formal Logic. New York, Chelsea: 1970.
 Aristotle: pp. 40-99.
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Aristotle was the first formal logician (40)
Work was organized and edited by Andronicus of Rhodes 1st century BC (40)
On Interpretation is translated here as Hermeneia (40)
The whole 4th book of the Metaphysics is concerned with logical problems (40)
Authenticity “…apart from isolated passages and perhaps individual chapters, the
Categories alone is seriously considered to be spurious [inauthentic]” (40).
Character of the works of the Organon:
1. “Hermeneia and the Topics enjoy the relatively greatest [internal] unity” (41).
2. Prior An. “evidently composed of several strata” (41).
3. Post. An. “mainly rather a collection of notes for lectures than a systematic
work” (41).
Content: (41)
1. Categories: treats of terms
2. Hermeneia: treats of propositions
3. The remaining works treat of inference:
a. Prior Analytics: treats of syllogisms in general
b. Posterior Analytics treats of apodictic (scientific) syllogisms
c. Topics treats of dialectical syllogisms
d. Sophistical Refutations treats of sophistical syllogisms
Chronology: (claim: Aristotle developed 3 logical systems)
1. Aristotle’s “first logic”
a. Topics (and Categories—if genuine)
b. Sophistical Refutations
c. Book IV of the Metaphysics
2. (transitional stage)
a. Hermeneia
b. (perhaps) Book B of Posterior Analytics
3. Second logic:
a. Book A, Prior Analytics (except Ch. 8-22): fully developed assertoric
syllogistic
b. (perhaps) Book A, Posterior Analytics
4. Third logic: (modal logic, though incomplete)
a. Book A, Prior Analytics Ch. 8-22
b. Book B, Prior Analytics