premisse

Premisse is a term used in Dutch to denote a proposition or statement that forms part of the basis for an argument or theory. The singular form is premisse and the plural form is premissen. In logic, philosophy, and everyday reasoning, a premisse is an assertion accepted as true within a given context, used to support a conclusion.

An argument typically consists of one or more premises together with a conclusion. Premises can be explicit, stated directly, or implicit, assumed without being stated. The strength of an argument depends on its validity (whether the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises) and its soundness (whether the premises are actually true in addition to the argument being valid).

Example: Premisse 1: Alle mensen zijn sterfelijk. Premisse 2: Socrates is een mens. Conclusie: Socrates is sterfelijk. This illustrates how premises support a conclusion; changing any premise can affect the conclusion's validity.

In Dutch usage, premisse is distinct from related terms such as aanname (assumption) and from the English word premise, which in English has the plural premises and is sometimes confused with the Dutch term due to cross-language similarities. English also uses premiSe in the singular form and a separate word premiss in some variants, though premiss is less common today.

Beyond pure logic, premissen appear in legal, mathematical, and scientific reasoning as the foundational statements from which theories, models, or arguments are developed. Understanding the role and truth of premises is central to evaluating the quality and reliability of any argumentative claim.