Book of Collections on the Art of Preaching

PARTS are the species of the genus, and the members of the species.

A NOTE is the interpretation of a name.

And from those things which are in some way related to the thing about which the question is asked: some are called conjugates, some from the genus, some from the form, some from similarity, some from difference, some from the contrary, some from the conjunctions, some from antecedents, some from consequences, some from repugnants, some from causes, some from effects, and some from comparison, either of greater, equal, or lesser things. Marcus Tullius Cicero explains these more broadly in his books of Partitiones Divisions and Topica Topics.

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A DEFINITION is a speech that indicates what a thing is. As: "Theft is the handling of another's property against the owner's will." Therefore, whoever has committed perjury—using the property of a church or monastery without the consent of the prelate—commits theft. This place will be the definition, in which the maximum major premise rests. To whatever the definition fits, the defined also fits. It is done in this way: when you have taken those things which are common to the thing you wish to define along with others, you follow them until it becomes so peculiar that it cannot be transferred to any other thing. Dialecticians call this the composition of the genus and the specific difference of the thing.

DIVISION gathers the forms placed under the genus. For example: "Because you are neither prudent, nor just, nor brave, nor temperate, therefore you are not virtuous."

PARTITION tears the proposed thing apart as if into members. For example: "Because it has neither foundation, nor roof, nor walls, therefore it is not a house." The seat of these places is: where the parts are missing, there the whole does not exist.