Which type of supposition occurs when a term refers to the word itself?

• A. Logical supposition
• B. Material supposition
• C. Real supposition
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

In supposition theory, a term can stand for different things in a proposition. When a term is used to refer to the word itself—the sign or letters of the word rather than the things the word denotes—that is material supposition. For example, in the statement “The word ‘dog’ has four letters,” the term dog is being used to talk about the word as a word, not about canine animals. That use shows material supposition. If the term were referring to the actual animals or the general class, we’d be in a different type of supposition. So the term referring to the word itself is material supposition.