Premise

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Premise

A premise is a statement that an argument claims will induce or justify a conclusion. In logic, a premise is a proposition that provides support to an argument's conclusion. There can be one or many premises in a single argument. A premise is a statement that is assumed to be true for the purpose of the argument.

Types of Premises[edit | edit source]

Premises can be classified into different types based on their nature and the role they play in an argument:

  • Major Premise: This is a general statement that is used to derive a conclusion. For example, in the syllogism "All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal," the major premise is "All men are mortal."
  • Minor Premise: This is a specific statement that is used in conjunction with the major premise to derive a conclusion. In the same syllogism, the minor premise is "Socrates is a man."
  • Conditional Premise: This is a premise that asserts a conditional statement, often in the form "If A, then B."
  • Categorical Premise: This is a premise that asserts a categorical statement, often in the form "All A are B."

Role in Logical Arguments[edit | edit source]

In deductive reasoning, premises are used to reach a logically certain conclusion. If the premises are true and the argument is valid, the conclusion must also be true. In inductive reasoning, premises are used to reach a conclusion that is likely but not certain. The strength of the conclusion depends on the strength of the premises.

Examples[edit | edit source]

  • Deductive Argument:
 * Major Premise: All humans are mortal.
 * Minor Premise: Socrates is a human.
 * Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.
  • Inductive Argument:
 * Premise: The sun has risen in the east every morning so far.
 * Conclusion: The sun will rise in the east tomorrow.

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD