The Use of the Term | Catholic Philosophy

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A term's general signification (all its possible senses) is narrowed by Supposition to a definite meaning for a given context. Supposition is Material when the term stands for itself as a word ('Man is monosyllabic'); it is Formal when it stands for something other than itself — either Logical (the object as it exists in logical being, e.g., 'Man is a species') or Real/Ontological (the object in its natural existence, e.g., 'Man is mortal'). Real supposition of collective terms is divided into collective (the group as a unit: 'The jury reached a verdict') and distributive (the members severally: 'The jury went home'). Appellation is the application of the idea of one term (the appellant) to the reality expressed in another (the appellate): Material Appellation applies the idea to the subject of the appellate; Formal Appellation applies it to the determinant.

A term may be used in two ways: (a) to signify a definite reality, and (b) to modify or qualify the signification of another term. The first use is called Supposition; the second is called Appellation.

a) Supposition of Terms

A dictionary entry for a common term like body offers many definitions: the total organised substance of an animal or plant; the trunk as distinct from limbs and head; a person; a kind of matter; a number of things taken collectively; a corpse; and more.

When you use the term body in a given context, you select one definite sense. That selection is your supposition — your taking of the term in a particular sense.

The whole list of possible senses of a term constitutes its general signification. Supposition is special: the taking of a term in a definite and restricted signification for the purposes of a given statement.

Kinds of Supposition

i. Material Supposition. When a term is taken to signify itself — as a group of words, letters, or sounds — its supposition is material. In “Man is a monosyllable,” the term man is taken materially; so too in “Jones is a proper name” or “Mankind is accented on the last syllable.”

ii. Formal Supposition. When a term is used to signify a reality other than itself, the supposition is formal. Formal supposition may be further divided:

Logical (formal supposition). When the term expresses a mode of being which a reality has in the mind, according to one’s understanding of it. Example: “Man is a species” — man is here taken as an inferior of the Universal animal, a mode of logical, not biological, classification.
Real (ontological) supposition. When the term expresses a mode of being which a thing has in nature, apart from the mind’s consideration. Example: “Man is mortal”; “Man wants but little here below.”

Real supposition of collective terms may be further divided:

Collective supposition: the group is signified as a unit. “The jury reached a verdict” (as a unit).
Distributive supposition: the individuals of the group are signified separately. “The jury went home” (the members went to their several homes).

b) Appellation of Terms

Appellation is the application of the idea expressed in one term to a reality expressed in another term. In “a good philosopher,” the idea expressed in the term good is applied to the reality expressed in the term philosopher.

The term applied is the appellant; the term to which application is made is the appellate. In “a good philosopher,” good is the appellant and philosopher is the appellate.

When an appellant is applied to a concrete term, two senses are possible, because a concrete term always means two things: a subject reality (the matter-signified) and a determinant or qualifier (the form-signified). In “philosopher,” the matter-signified is the person (the subject), and the form-signified is the knowledge of philosophy (the determinant).

This leads to the following classification of appellation:

i. Material Appellation. When the appellant is applied to the matter-signified. If “a good philosopher” means a good man who knows philosophy, the appellation is material — the goodness is attributed to the person, the subject.

ii. Formal Appellation. When the appellant is applied to the form-signified. If “a good philosopher” means a man who has a good understanding of philosophy, the appellation is formal — the goodness is attributed to the philosophical knowledge, the determinant.

Similarly: “a truthful artist” is material appellation if it means a truth-telling individual who happens to paint; it is formal appellation if it means an artist whose work expresses truth.

Summary of the Article

We have carefully distinguished between the general meaning of a term and its use (supposition) in a special instance. Supposition is divided into material and formal; formal supposition is subdivided as logical and real; real supposition of collective terms is further divided as collective and distributive.

We have also studied the application of terms to terms — Appellation — distinguishing this as Material (applied to the matter-signified) and Formal (applied to the form-signified).