Premispremisnya

Premispremisnya is a neologism used in theoretical discussions of argument structure to denote the premises about premises—the meta-level assumptions and criteria that justify, evaluate, or constrain the set of premises in an argument. The term is not widely standardized and is primarily found in speculative or humorous discourse on logic and rhetoric.

Origin and etymology: The word combines "premis" (from premise) with the Indonesian possessive suffix "-nya" and repeats the root for emphasis, signaling a focus on premises of premises. It is typically described as a playful label for meta-arguments about what counts as a credible premise.

Conceptual framework: Premispremisnya encompasses both epistemic meta-premises (claims about the reliability, sources, and evidence backing a premise) and normative meta-premises (claims about relevance, policy desirability, or ethical acceptability of using certain premises). In analysis, it functions as the layer that determines whether core premises are admitted, rejected, or revised, thereby shaping overall argument strength.

Usage and examples: In a debate about climate policy, the claim "reducing emissions will lower temperatures" rests on core premises and on premisnya such as "emissions directly affect temperature" and the meta-premise "the cited studies are robust." Analysts use the concept to reveal hidden assumptions and to assess argument coherence.

Criticism: Critics argue that premispremisnya can complicate discussions without adding clarity, but supporters say it helps isolate foundational questions about evidence and relevance.

See also: premises, warrants, meta-arguments, argumentation theory.