
premises
A premise is a statement or idea that forms the foundation of an argument or reasoning process. It presents a piece of information or belief that supports a conclusion. Think of premises as the building blocks or reasons that lead to a logical outcome. For example, in an argument, “All humans are mortal” is a premise that supports the conclusion “Socrates is mortal.” Premises are important because they provide the evidence or assumptions upon which conclusions are based, helping to ensure the reasoning is sound and justified.