Literary notes about Premise (AI summary)
In literature the word "premise" is employed both as a technical term integral to formal logic and as a rhetorical tool to frame an argument or narrative. In logical contexts, authors delineate major and minor premises as the foundational statements that support deductive reasoning and ensure the validity of syllogisms—for instance, laying out logical structures where a negative minor premise or a distributed major premise determines the conclusion ([1], [2], [3]). At the same time, writers use the term more colloquially to introduce their stance or to set the groundwork for discussion, thereby giving weight or authority to the assertions that follow ([4], [5], [6]). This dual usage underscores the versatility of "premise," bridging the gap between strict logical argumentation and the more fluid, narrative-driven discourse found throughout literature ([7], [8]).
- And since the minor premise denies one alternative while the conclusion affirms the other, we may infer that the argument is valid.
— from A Class Room Logic Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching by George Hastings McNair - MINOR PREMISE: Slovenly men are careless.
— from The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein - (3) But G, being the conclusion of the major premise, could be distributed only by a negative proposition.
— from A Class Room Logic Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching by George Hastings McNair - I should premise by avowing that my first impression was strong against that admission; and I believe I declared that opinion in private conversation.
— from History of Woman Suffrage, Volume I - Before I enter upon the examination of particular taxes, it is necessary to premise the four following maximis with regard to taxes in general.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - [Pg 508] I must premise, however, that in so perplexed and intricate a field, I am sensible how necessary it is to tread with caution.
— from An Introduction to Entomology: Vol. 2 or Elements of the Natural History of the Insects by William Kirby - I shall not premise any thing to it further than that it is built on Matter of Fact, and is as follows.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - We Americans have a notable cultural premise in our consideration for the underdog.
— from Introduction to the Science of Sociology by E. W. Burgess and Robert Ezra Park
