Definitions of Basic Terms: An argument is a set of statements one of which is being argued for on the basis of the others, those others therefore being describable as the statements being argued from. To argue for a statement is to present reasons for thinking that it is true; to argue from one or more statements is to present them as reasons for thinking that another statement is true. (Note: the word "argument" has …showed first 75 words of 1084 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1084 total…question in relation to any given passage or set of remarks, you'll typically have spotted a conclusion -- and, you'll recall, the statements containing the writer's or speaker's reasons for thinking that the conclusion is true are the premises. (But don't forget: there may be unstated premises to reckon with, and in both written and oral presentations of arguments, one may encounter statements that aren't premises because they aren't parts of the argument at all).