Institutio Oratoria

This major premise is either an admitted fact as in the last example or requires

to be proved as in the following:

He who wishes to live a happy life, must be a philosopher

: for this is not an acknowledged truth, and the premises must be established before we can arrive at the conclusion. Sometimes again the minor premise is an admitted fact, as for instance,

But all men wish to live a happy life,

while sometimes it requires to be proved, as for example the statement quoted above,

That which is dissolved into its elements is devoid of feeling,

since it is doubtful whether the soul is immortal after its release from the body or only continues to exist for a time. Some call this a minor premise, some a reason.