Postulation

Postulation is the act of proposing or assuming something as a basic principle or proposition, often for the purpose of argument, theory construction, or calculation. The term traces to the Latin postulare, meaning to demand or require; in English it is used as both a noun and a verb (to postulate).

In philosophy and logic, a postulation is a foundational assumption accepted without demonstration within a theoretical framework. It serves as a starting point from which reasoning or proofs proceed. A distinction is sometimes made between postulates (or axioms) that are treated as self-evident within a system, and hypotheses that are proposed for empirical testing.

In mathematics, postulates or axioms are statements assumed true to derive theorems. Classical geometries are built on postulates such as the existence of a line through any two points. Later axiom systems, like Hilbert's, refined the concept to clarify independence and consistency. Not all logical frameworks use the same postulates; changing them yields different geometries or logical structures.

In science and everyday discourse, postulation often refers to a proposed explanation, theory, or assumption about a phenomenon. A postulate may be tested by observation or experiment, or replaced if evidence contradicts it.

Overall, postulation is a foundational but unproven proposition introduced to enable analysis, model building, or explanation within a given domain. See also axiom, hypothesis, assumption, theory.