Premise and Conclusion

Premise and Conclusion – The terms premise and conclusion denote a function. Thus no proposition taken by itself can be a premise or a conclusion. They are such only within the context of an argument. An argument may be diagrammed simply as follows:

Premise/s--------------------------------> Conclusion

What serves as the evidence what is supposed to follow from the evidence

Premise and conclusion are relative terms. One and the same proposition can be a premise in one argument and a conclusion in another.

All mammals feed their young with milk.

All human are mammals.

Therefore, all humans feed their young with milk.

All that feed their young with milk are mammals.

All humans feed their young with milk.

Therefore all humans are mammals.

There are clues one can use to pick out the conclusions and the premises of an argument. Certain words in our language may be used to signal conclusions or premises. They are called indicators.

PREMISE INDICATORS		CONCLUSION INDICATORS
Since, as indicated by, because, for, in that, may be inferred from, as, seeing that, for the reason that, inasmuch as, given that, may be concluded from, or the reason that, due to the fact that		Therefore, wherefore, accordingly, we may conclude, entails that, hence, thus, consequently, we may infer that, it must be that, whence, so, it follows that, implies that
Premise	Shows that Indicates that Proves that Entails that Implies that Establishes that		Conclusion
Conclusion	Is shown by Is indicated by Is proven by Is entailed by Is implied by Is established by		Premise

An argument is seen more clearly if it is written out in argument form. In this format, the premises are listed first, followed by a solid line separating them from the conclusion, listed at the bottom. Each statement is numbered and the form is as follows:

The president, being human, is mortal, as all human beings are mortal.
Premise 1 Premise 2 ----------- Conclusion	All human beings are mortals. The president is a human being. -------------------------------------- Therefore, the president is mortal.
God does not exist because if he did there would be no suffering and evil in the world; but obviously suffering and evil do exist. Thus, there is not God.
Premise 1 Premise 2 ------------ Conclusion	If God existed there would be no suffering and evil in the world. But obviously suffering and evil do exist. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Therefore, there is no God