Which rule states that no conclusion can follow from two negative premises?

• A. No conclusion can follow from two negative premises
• B. If both premises are affirmative, the conclusion must be affirmative
• C. If either premise is negative, the conclusion must be negative
• D. The middle term must be distributed at least once

Answer: (A)

In syllogistic reasoning, you need a bridge between the major and minor terms through the middle term. When both premises are negative, that bridge isn’t established, so no definitive conclusion about the major and minor terms can be drawn. For example, if you have “No A is B” and “No B is C,” there’s no forced relation between A and C—the premises only rule out connections to the middle term B, but they don’t determine how A and C relate. As a result, any conclusion about A and C would be unfounded.

That’s why the statement that no conclusion can follow from two negative premises is the correct rule. The other options describe different valid-syllogism constraints that don’t capture this specific situation.