小取

The purpose of disputation is to clarify the distinction between right and wrong, to examine the principles of order and chaos, to illuminate the points of sameness and difference, to investigate the relationship between names and actualities, to determine benefit and harm, and to resolve doubt. It outlines the nature of the myriad things and seeks comparisons among various doctrines. It uses names to refer to actualities, uses propositions to express ideas, and uses explanations to bring forth reasons. It draws conclusions by analogy and grants claims by analogy. If one possesses a quality oneself, one does not condemn it in others; if one lacks it oneself, one does not demand it of others.

The particle 'or' means not all. 'Hypothetical' means what is not presently the case. 'Standard' means to set up a model; what is modeled is the means by which the model is established. If something accords with the standard, it is correct; if it does not, it is incorrect. This is verification. 'Illustration' is citing another thing to clarify it. 'Parallel' is comparing propositions and letting them proceed together. 'Precedent' says: 'You do it this way -- why can I alone not do it this way?' 'Extension' means granting to what the opponent does not accept the same status as what the opponent does accept, on the grounds of their similarity.

Things may share a similarity yet not be entirely the same in all respects. A parallel argument has its limits and is correct only up to a point. That something is so has a reason why it is so; the facts may be the same, but the reasons behind them need not be the same. That something is accepted has a reason for its acceptance; the acceptance may be the same, but the reasons behind it need not be the same. Therefore the argumentative forms of illustration, parallel, precedent, and extension may proceed in one way yet differ in another, may turn and become precarious, may go far and miss the mark, may flow and depart from the root. They must be carefully examined and cannot be used without qualification. Therefore when speech has many aspects, diverse categories, and different reasons, one cannot observe it from only one angle.