Abstract

Arthur Schopenhauer was one of the first logicians of the 19th century to develop a visual representation of the sorites with which it is possible to depict multiple terms in one diagram. With the help of an example from Seneca, he explains how the sorites diagram works and provides two reading interpretations for the diagram. Since Schopenhauer’s sorites diagram in particular or sorites diagrams in general have never been dealt with in research before, this paper will introduce and analyse Schopenhauer’s sorites diagram and its different reading possibilities. Thereby, it will not only be shown how the sorites diagram can help to dissolve the sorites back into individual syllogisms, but also other topics such as the reading directions, the extension and intension of the sorites diagram will be discussed in more detail. It turns out that Schopenhauer’s sorites was just the foundation for further works in his philosophical system.