Propositions whose quantity is thus left indefinite are technically called 'preindesignate,' their quantity not being stated or designated by any introductory expression; whilst propositions whose quantity is expressed, as _All foundling-hospitals have a high death-rate_, or _Some wine is made from grapes_, are said to be 'predesignate.' Now, the rule is that preindesignate propositions are, for logical purposes, to be treated as particular; since it is an obvious precaution of the science of proof, in any practical application, _not to go beyond the evidence_.

Still, the rule may be relaxed if the universal quantity of a preindesignate proposition is well known or admitted, as in _Planets shine with reflected light_--understood of the planets of our solar system at the present time.

Again, such a proposition as _Man is the paragon of animals_ is not a preindesignate, but an abstract proposition; the subject being elliptical for _Man according to his proper nature_; and the translation of it into a predesignate proposition is not _All men are paragons_; nor can _Some men_ be sufficient, since an abstract can only be adequately rendered by a distributed term; but we must say, _All men who approach the ideal_.

Universal real propositions, true without qualification, are very scarce; and we often substitute for them _general_ propositions, saying perhaps--_generally, though not universally, S is P_.

Such general propositions are, in strictness, particular; and the logical rules concerning universals cannot be applied to them without careful scrutiny of the facts.
The marks or predesignations of Quantity commonly used in Logic are: for Universals, _All_, _Any_, _Every_, _Whatever_ (in the negative _No_ or _No one_, see next Sec.); for Particulars, _Some_.
Now _Some_, technically used, does not mean _Some only,_ but _Some at least_ (it may be one, or more, or all).