LESSON: LOGICAL DIVISION

Besides definition, there is another method of making our ideas clear in order to arrive at a better
understanding of their meaning i.e the method of division and classification.

Division is the resolving or breaking up of a whole into parts i.e separating the various parts of a thing or
break up a whole its component parts.

Example The body can be broken down into; head, arms, legs, hands, trunk, feet.

A tree can be broken down into; roots, trunk, branches, leaves.

Science into biology, chemistry, physics etc.

Division or breaking up into component parts has three kinds namely physical (breaking down things
into their natural parts eg human body), metaphysical (breaking down things into the essence or being
eg human being into body , soul, and spirit) and logical division.

Logical division is when the mind divide a logical whole into its component parts in as much as a
universal idea is broken down into the members which constitute its extension or denotation or the
statement of the subclasses into which a class can be broken up

THE STRUCTURE OF LOGICAL DIVISION.

TOTUM DIVISIUM

This is the genus which is broken up into species, or it is the whole class which is being divided into its
parts. It is also called the divided whole.

MEMBRA DIVIDENTIA. This is the species into which the genus has been divided or the component parts
of a whole. Or the subclasses of the main class or the members of a class.

FUNDAMENTUM DIVISIONIS: It is the principle that is used to divide the whole (totum Divisium or
genus) into its parts(species).It is the fundamental principle used in dividing the totum divisium into the
membra dividentia.

Example: State the totum divisium, membra dividentia and fundamentum divisionis of the following;

1. Furniture, table, cupboard, chairs.

2. Kitchen utensils, pots, plates, knife, spoons, trays.

SOLUTIONS.

1. Given ;furniture, table, cupboard, bed and chairs.

Totum Divisium is Furniture.
Membra dividentia are table, cupboard bed,and chairs.
Fundematum Divisionis is Household Furniture.

2. Given: Kitchen Utensils, pots knife, spoon ,trays.

Totum divisium is Utensils
Fundamentum Divisium is Kitchen utensils
Membra dividentia : pots. Knife, spoon, trays.

Practice exercise.
Identify and state the totum divisium, membra dividentia and fundamentum divisionis of the
following.
1. History, geography, literature, economics and Subjects and arts subjects.
2. Transport, marine transport, submarines, yacht, boats, ship.