Argument (philosophy)

An argument, in logic and philosophy, may be defined as a set of statements, one member of which, the conclusion, is supported by the others, called the premises (or premisses). The premises are reasons presented to show that the conclusion is, or is probably, true.

When an argument is presented to prove that its conclusion is true (not just probably true), the argument is called deductive. When an argument is presented to prove that its conclusion is probably true, the argument is called inductive.