Barbara: A name employed as part of a mnemonic system devised by medieval students
to remember the valid forms of the syllogism (‘Barbara’, ‘Celarent’, ‘Darii’,
etc.). Since one of these syllogism consisted of three universal-affirmative (or
‘a’) propositions it was associated with a woman’s name containing three a’s).
Aristotle held that Barbara was the most appropriate argument form for presenting a
scientific explanation.
Causa sine qua non: the nominative feminine singular of causa/causae + preposition
+ the ablative feminine singular of the pronoun qui/quae/quod + adverb (literally:
‘a cause without which not’): an indispensable cause.
Causa sui: the nominative feminine singular of causa/causae + the genitive singular
of the pronoun sui, sibi, se, se: ‘self caused’ or ‘cause of itself’. Associated
with the view proposed by Spinoza and others that the reason for God’s existence
lies in its essence (thus sometimes associated with the Ontological Argument).
Ceteris paribus: the ablative neuter plural of the adjective ceter-a-um + plus the
ablative neuter plural of the adjective par-paris, an ablative absolute (literally:
‘if other things are equal’ or ‘other things being equal’): a phrase commonly used
to consider the effects of a cause in isolation by assuming that other relevant
conditions are absent (e.g. ‘An increase in the price of oil will result, ceteris
paribus, to people using their cars less often).
Cogito ergo sum: the first person singular present indicative active of
cogito/cogitare + adverb + the first person singular present indicative of the verb
to be: ‘I think therefore I am’. From Descartes, Principles of Philosophy (1644);
the first proposition Descartes encountered in his exercise of methodic doubt he
believed could be know clearly and distinctly to be true.
Conatus: the nominative masculine singular of the perfect passive participle of
conor/conari, a deponent verb meaning ‘attempt’ or ‘endeavor’; derived from Greek
hormê (‘force’ or ‘first start’), term used by the Stoics and later philosophers in
speaking of the innate tendency of things to exist or enhance themselves.
Contra: adverb: ‘against’. To be distinguished from Pace (see below)
Credo quia absurdum est: the first person singular indicative active of
credo/credere + conjunction + the nominative neuter singular of the adjective
absurdus-a-um used as a noun + the third person present indicative of the verb to
be: ‘I believe because it is absurd’. Based loosely on a remark in Tertullian, De
Carne Christi V, 4.
Credo ut intellegam: the first person singular indicative active of credo/credere +
subordinating conjunction + the first person singular subjunctive present active of
intellego
