Premise — English definition
A statement an argument assumes or asserts as a starting point on the way to its conclusion.
Where it is taught
- Evaluating Reasoning & Evidence — Public Argument, Rhetoric & Competing Accounts, English 11: American Voices, Identity & Public Memory, Grade 11
- Evaluating Complex Reasoning — Argument & Rhetoric, English 12: Complex Texts, Independent Inquiry & Public Voice, Grade 12
In use
'All birds can fly; a penguin is a bird; therefore a penguin can fly' is perfectly valid in shape and completely wrong, because a premise is false.
Evaluating Reasoning & Evidence
An argument can be flawless in form and still worthless because a premise is false.
Evaluating Complex Reasoning