Tautologous or Identical Propositions
§ 273. A Tautologous or Identical proposition affirms the subject of itself, e.g. 'A man's a man,' 'What I have written, I have written,' 'Whatever is, is.' The second of these instances amounts formally to saying 'The thing that I have written is the thing that I have written,' though of course the implication is that the writing will not be altered.
CHAPTER IV.
Of the Distribution of Terms.
§ 274. The treatment of this subject falls under the second part of logic, since distribution is not an attribute of terms in themselves, but one which they acquire in predication.
§ 275. A term is said to be distributed when it is known to be used in its whole extent, that is, with reference to all the things of which it is a name. When it is not so used, or is not known to be so used, it is called undistributed.
§ 276. When we say 'All men are mortal,' the subject is distributed, since it is apparent from the form of the expression that it is used in its whole extent. But when we say 'Men are miserable' or 'Some men are black,' the subject is undistributed.
§ 277. There is the same ambiguity attaching to the term 'undistributed' which we found to underlie the use of the term 'particular.' 'Undistributed' is applied both to a term whose quantity is undefined, and to one whose quantity is definitely limited to a part of its possible extent.
§ 278. This awkwardness arises from not inquiring first whether the quantity of a term is determined or undetermined, and afterwards proceeding to inquire, whether it is determined as a whole or part of its possible extent. As it is, to say that a term is distributed, involves two distinct statements—
(1) That its quantity is known;