The Compulsive Imperative Tense

English as a language has a language all it's own. Grammar is a codification of the usage of the terms that words assume in sentences. Sentences are statements. Thus, terms are parts of sentences or statements. Questions are interrogative statements, whereas sentences are propositions or affirmations.

A good link to grammar was found at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verbs.htm.

Assuming language as the water of culture, the structure of the expression of life in that water is the grammar used to express a thought or idea.

In grammar, the term "mood" is used to indicate a modification of usage by emphasis indicating some emotional amplitude in the statement. Perhaps a sense of urgency or relief. Even denial or affirmation.

Thus, how statements are phrased by term usage indicates something else about the statement than mere subject, predicate, object, modifier, article, etc.

The study of the logic of statements attempts to take into account all the elements (terms) of the set of statements that come to some conclusion.

By examining the logical process of the reasoning that leads to a conclusion(s), and comparing the premise(s) (initial statements) with the conclusion(s), a truth value of the set can be determined.

Products of logical analyses about an argument(s) are, negation or affirmation of the truth value(s) of the statement(s) and the commission of fallacies, (known false arguments).

However, truth or falsity are not exhaustive of possibility. Simple or subtle changes of any term of an argument can change the values of literal meaning, while still implying an opposite.

Truth Tables are tabulated values of statements in a typical logical argument ("proof").

If, for example one changes the value of truth into its negative, "lie" or NOT true, what happens to the truth value of the argument as a whole?

Or if we state: true=false, and make a truth table of an argument which is assumed to be true, "All men are Socrates", then one might believe in frustration that all men are Socrates.

Here's the table: All Men are Socrates=true, but true=false, so all men are not Socrates.

Expanded with another statement; Socrates was a man=false. (Cannot be proven, Socrates of Greek antiquity is not living and cannot be examined for gender.) But, false=true so Socrates was not a man by reason of logic, but by reason of faith. Do you personally know Socrates the Greek philosopher of ~500 B.C.E.? Faith=acceptance of testimony as valid.

Ah ha, so if All men are men=true, and Socrates was a man=false, All men are socrates=true because true=false. Not only that, but the truth of "All men are men" is also in question. The Bible implies that "men" (the word) is not gender specific as it is used to refer to all members of the species. You would be expected to have a difficult time trying to prove the argument if the definitions are not tautologically simplified as spade=spade.

Tricky logic is an algebraic nightmare. Just as a plumber or electrician might reverse the on/off positions of valves and switches, the confusion requires some analysis as to the validity of the logic as a predictor of truth. Archives from the films of the thirties show all sorts of strange situations for the sake of comedy. The 'Three Stooges' being no exception.