Five Predicable & Tree of Porphyry of Library Classification:

From the ancient age, every single person wants to clarify the whole creation of the world, they tried to clarify similar things together but was not so easy. To solve this problem the greatest philosopher like Plato, Aristotle and Porphyry came, so, therefore, arise five predicable or tree of Porphyry of Library Classification. It plays an important role in classification.

Five Predicable:

H. Phillip points out the “The principle laid down in the predicable govern all classification, for all divisions proceed by the addition of differences to the general.” The terms genus, species, and difference belong to a group of logical terms known as five predicable. The five predicable points out all possible relations a predicable may express concerning a subject. These are advanced by the Greek logician, Porphyry. The five predicable may be explained thus;

a) Genus: The main class, or a group of things which may be divided into sub-group called genus. Genus is that part of the essence which is also predictable of other things different from them in kind, for example;

b) Species: The groups into which the genus is divided. Each group may be itself become a genus subject to further divisions. It denotes the specific essence of the thing, for example;

c) Difference: A characteristic or quality which enables a genus to be divided is called difference, for example;

Genus + Difference = Species

Literature + Bengali = Bengali Literature

d) Property: A quality Processed by every number of the genus but which is not confined to that genus. Though not essential to define that genus the possession of a property is inherent in the nature of a species, for example;

Genus + Signs = Prelude

Flower + Red = Red Flower

e) Accident: A quality which may or maybe not be possessed by any number of the genus. It is not necessary for the definition of a species and its existence can’t be inferred by the definition, for example; changing the color, and size of published books doesn’t affect classification.

Tree of Porphyry:

According to Porphyry classification should start with knowledge in its totality. Porphyry gives a diagram and named that Tree of Porphyry which is given below:

  • The substance is the all-embracing class to which is added the difference, the possession of corporeality to obtain the species ‘Body’.
  • The division commences from a substance known as the summer genus and ends with an individual man, known as the intima species.
  • The intermediate classes-Body, living beings, and Animals are sub-alter genera. They are treated both as genera and as species.
  • The term ‘substance’ has great intention which Rabindranath has a great intention and small extension.