Premise

Premise

In discourse and logic, a premise is a claim that is a reason (or element of a set of reasons) for, or objection against, some other claim. In other words, it is a statement presumed true within the context of an argument toward a conclusion. Premises are sometimes stated explicitly by way of disambiguation or for emphasis, but more often they are left tacitly understood as being obvious or self-evident ("it goes without saying"), or not conducive to succinct discourse. For example, in the argument

::Socrates is mortal, since all men are

it is evident that a tacitly understood claim is that Socrates is a man. The fully expressed reasoning is thus:

::Since all men are mortal and Socrates is a man, it follows that Socrates is mortal.

In this example, the first two independent clauses preceding the comma (namely, "all men are mortal" and "Socrates is a man") are the premises, while "Socrates is mortal" is the conclusion.

In the context of ordinary argumentation, the rational acceptability of a disputed conclusion depends on both the truth of the premises and the soundness of the reasoning from the premises to the conclusion.

See also

* Argument map
* Argumentation theory
* Co-premise
* Inference objection
* Main contention
* Proposition
* Statement in mathematical logic and philosophy
* Validity


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  • Premise — Pre*mise , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Premised}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Premising}.] [From L. praemissus, p. p., or E. premise, n. See {Premise}, n.] 1. To send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Premise — Pre*mise , v. i. To make a premise; to set forth something as a premise. Swift. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • premise — index assume (suppose), assumption (supposition), basis, foundation (basis), generalization, ground …   Law dictionary

  • premise — premise, premiss A premiss (usually pronounced prem is) or (rarely) premise is a previous statement from which another is inferred; the plural is premisses or premises. In the plural, premises also means ‘a house or building with its grounds’. As …   Modern English usage

  • premise — [prem′is; ] for v., chiefly Brit [ pri mīz′] n. [ME premisse < ML praemissa < L praemissus, pp. of praemittere, to send before < prae , before + mittere, to send: see PRE & MISSION] 1. a) a previous statement or assertion that serves as… …   English World dictionary

  • premise# — premise n postulate, posit, presupposition, presumption, assumption (see under PRESUPPOSE) Analogous words: ground, *reason: proposition, *proposal premise vb postulate, posit, *presuppose, presume, assume …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • premise — [n] hypothesis, argument apriorism, assertion, assumption, basis, evidence, ground, posit, postulate, postulation, presumption, presupposition, proof, proposition, supposition, thesis; concepts 529,689 Ant. fact, reality, truth premise [v]… …   New thesaurus

  • premise — ► NOUN (Brit. also premiss) 1) Logic a previous statement from which another is inferred. 2) an underlying assumption. ► VERB (premise on/upon) ▪ base (an argument, theory, etc.) on. ORIGIN Old French premisse, from Latin. praemissa propositio… …   English terms dictionary

  • Premise — Prem ise, n.; pl. {Premises}. [Written also, less properly, {premiss}.] [F. pr[ e]misse, fr. L. praemissus, p. p. of praemittere to send before; prae before + mittere to send. See {Mission}.] 1. A proposition antecedently supposed or proved;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • prémise — ● prémise nom féminin (de pré mise en train) Ensemble d opérations de contrôle et de mise au point sur la forme typographique avant son calage …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • premise — (n.) late 14c., in logic, a previous proposition from which another follows, from O.Fr. premisse, from M.L. premissa (propositio) (the proposition) set before, fem. pp. of L. praemittere send or put before, from prae before (see PRE (Cf. pre )) + …   Etymology dictionary

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