presupposition
/ˌpriːsʌpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A thing tacitly assumed beforehand at the beginning of a line of argument or course of action: both men shared certain ethical presuppositions about the universe...
- Discourse ethics has an a priori foundation: the presuppositions of discourse or argument.
- The argument explores, therefore, the presuppositions of this self-consciousness.
- First, often the very questions which challenge the presuppositions of a given problem are those which on their face seem most naïve.
Synonyms
presumption, assumption, preconception, preconceived idea/notion, supposition, hypothesis, surmise, speculation, guess, prediction, thesis, theory, premise, belief, suspicion, thought, argument, postulation, prejudgement
1.1 [mass noun] The action or state of presupposing or being presupposed.Notice that the therapist did not explain or justify this presupposition in a preamble but simply embedded it in the question....
- He has tutored Catherine in a form of intertextual ‘reading’ by analogy that forces likeness through automatic and inappropriate presupposition.
- Using Clendinnen's private lives to preface this very public one is a tactic meant to stay the hand of presupposition and the stereotypes it holds.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from medieval Latin praesuppositio(n-), from the verb praesupponere (see presuppose).