What is necessary assumption question?
A necessary assumption is a claim the argument cannot do without. The question asks you to find it.
Test a candidate with the negation test: deny it, and if the argument collapses, it is necessary.
Necessary assumptions are usually modest. The trap answers are too strong: claims the argument would like to be true but does not need.
Related glossary entry: necessary assumption.
Last updated October 12, 2026