Premisesexplicit

Premisesexplicit is a coined term used to describe the practice or principle of making all premises in an argument explicit. It emphasizes that for an argument to be assessable, each supporting claim that underpins the conclusion should be stated overtly rather than assumed or implied.

In logic and philosophy, explicit premises help determine the strength and validity of an inference. When premises are fully stated, readers and listeners can evaluate whether the conclusion follows by logical form or whether additional assumptions are required. By contrast, implicit premises—those left unstated—can obscure reasoning and hinder critical scrutiny. Identifying and articulating implicit premises is a common task in argument analysis and critical thinking education.

In educational settings, promoting premisesexplicit supports clearer writing, better argument construction, and more transparent assessment. Students are encouraged to articulate the starting points and values that justify their conclusions, reducing misinterpretation and miscommunication.

In artificial intelligence and explainable reasoning, premisesexplicit aligns with efforts to expose the step-by-step rationale behind conclusions. Systems that generate or justify outputs often benefit from explicitly stated premises, which aids user trust, accountability, and debugging. However, some arguments rely on tacit, culturally shared, or context-dependent premises that resist easy articulation.

Limitations of the premisesexplicit approach include the risk of over-simplifying complex beliefs, overlooking legitimate uncertainty about premises, and potential disputes over which premises should be considered essential. Nonetheless, making premises explicit remains a central practice in clear reasoning, critical thinking, and transparent argumentation.

See also: implicit premises, argumentation theory, logical form, critical thinking, explainable AI.