deuterotasis

Deuterotasis is a term used in ancient Greek rhetoric and logic to describe a type of conditional statement. It specifically refers to the latter part of a conditional, the part that expresses the consequence or result. In a hypothetical statement of the form "if P, then Q," the deuterotasis is the 'Q' part. The first part, 'P', is known as the protasis.

For example, in the statement "If it rains, then the ground will be wet," the protasis is "it rains" and the deuterotasis is "the ground will be wet." The deuterotasis is the conclusion that follows from the condition presented in the protasis.

The concept of deuterotasis is important for understanding the structure of logical arguments and the way conditional reasoning was analyzed by ancient philosophers. It highlights the distinction between the premise or condition and the outcome or consequence within a complex proposition. This distinction was fundamental in the development of logic and dialectic in the classical world. The term itself is derived from Greek words meaning "second" and "stretching out" or "extension," referring to its position as the subsequent part of the conditional structure.