Antecedent (logic)
Encyclopedia
An antecedent is the first half of a hypothetical proposition
.
Examples:
This is a nonlogical formulation of a hypothetical proposition. In this case, the antecedent is P, and the consequent
is Q.
"X is a man" is the antecedent for this proposition.
Here, "men have walked on the moon" is the antecedent.
Proposition
In logic and philosophy, the term proposition refers to either the "content" or "meaning" of a meaningful declarative sentence or the pattern of symbols, marks, or sounds that make up a meaningful declarative sentence...
.
Examples:
- If P, then Q.
This is a nonlogical formulation of a hypothetical proposition. In this case, the antecedent is P, and the consequent
Consequent
A consequent is the second half of a hypothetical proposition. In the standard form of such a proposition, it is the part that follows "then".Examples:* If P, then Q.Q is the consequent of this hypothetical proposition....
is Q.
- If X is a man, then X is mortal.
"X is a man" is the antecedent for this proposition.
- If men have walked on the moon, then I am the king of France.
Here, "men have walked on the moon" is the antecedent.
See also
- ConsequentConsequentA consequent is the second half of a hypothetical proposition. In the standard form of such a proposition, it is the part that follows "then".Examples:* If P, then Q.Q is the consequent of this hypothetical proposition....
- Denying the antecedentDenying the antecedentDenying the antecedent, sometimes also called inverse error, is a formal fallacy, committed by reasoning in the form:The name denying the antecedent derives from the premise "not P", which denies the "if" clause of the conditional premise....
(fallacy)