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This is a descriptive consideration of some thought processes which do not obey integral principles of Aristotelian logic. Arieti terms such insubordinations 'paleologic', meaning that they hark back to archaic forms of logic presumably used by prehistoric mankind. In these systems identities are established on the basis of identical predicates of premises rather than identical subjects. For example, given the premises 'All men are mortal' and 'Socrates is a man', the Aristotelian conclusion would be 'Socrates is mortal' because the subject of the second premise is contained in the first (a requirement of the mode of Barbara). Given the premises 'Certain Indians are swift' and 'Stags are swift', the paleologician would conclude 'Certain Indians are stags'.
Though common in schizophrenia, autistic or highly subjective thought following paleologic principles is also present in childhood, primitive cultures, dreams, and normal ego states. Characteristic of the schizophrenic is an inability to correct his paleologic view of reality by applying whatever residual of Aristotelian principles the disease leaves him.