What does 'universal import' mean in ancient logic?

• A. Universals have no existential import.
• B. Universal propositions guarantee existence of every member of the subject class.
• C. Universal propositions entail the predicate for all subjects.
• D. The idea that universal propositions imply existence of at least one thing in their subject class.

Answer: (D)

Universal import is about the existential weight of universal propositions in ancient logic. In Aristotelian thinking, a statement like “All S are P” is not considered meaningful if the subject class S is empty; such a proposition presupposes that there is at least one thing that is S. So universal propositions carry the claim that there exists at least one member of the subject class, even though they extend to all members of that class. This is why the idea you’re testing says universal propositions imply existence for the subject class.

So the correct idea is that universal propositions entail existence of at least one thing in their subject class. The other formulations either deny existential import, overstate how many members must exist, or merely restate what the universal says without addressing whether the subject class actually exists.