命题 (mìngtí) — proposition; to set a topic

命题 (mìngtí)

命题 has two related uses. As a noun, it means a proposition — a statement that can be evaluated as true or false (in logic) or a central thesis (in rhetoric). As a verb, it means to set or formulate a topic for an examination, essay, or debate. The word is used in logic, philosophy, education, and academic writing.

Meanings

1. [n] proposition (a statement evaluable as true or false; a thesis)
2. [v] to set a topic, to formulate an exam question or essay prompt

Example Sentences

"所有人生而平等"这一命题在哲学史上引发了持续数百年的争论。 "Suǒyǒu rén shēng ér píngděng" zhè yī mìngtí zài zhéxué shǐ shàng yǐnfā le chíxù shùbǎi nián de zhēnglùn. The proposition "all men are created equal" has provoked centuries of debate in the history of philosophy.

高考作文命题趋向于考查学生的思辨能力而非单纯的文笔技巧。 Gāokǎo zuòwén mìngtí qūxiàng yú kǎochá xuéshēng de sībiàn nénglì ér fēi dānchún de wénbǐ jìqiǎo. College entrance essay prompts tend to test students' critical thinking ability rather than purely writing skills.

这位逻辑学家专门研究命题逻辑与谓词逻辑之间的形式关系。 Zhè wèi luójí xuéjiā zhuānmén yánjiū mìngtí luójí yǔ wèicí luójí zhī jiān de xíngshì guānxi. This logician specializes in the formal relations between propositional logic and predicate logic.

命题人在设计试题时必须避免歧义，确保考查意图明确。 Mìngtí rén zài shèjì shìtí shí bìxū bìmiǎn qíyì, quèbǎo kǎochá yìtú míngquè. Those setting exam questions must avoid ambiguity to ensure the testing intent is clear.

这个命题乍看合理，但只需一个反例便足以推翻它。 Zhège mìngtí zhàkàn hélǐ, dàn zhǐ xū yīgè fǎnlì biàn zúyǐ tuīfān tā. This proposition appears reasonable at first glance, but a single counterexample is sufficient to overturn it.

本届辩论赛的命题聚焦于人工智能是否应当拥有法律人格。 Běn jiè biànlùn sài de mìngtí jùjiāo yú réngōng zhìnéng shìfǒu yīngdāng yōngyǒu fǎlǜ réngé. The proposition for this debate competition focuses on whether artificial intelligence should have legal personhood.

Collocations

Usage Notes

As a verb, 命题 (to set a topic) is used in educational contexts: 命题作文 is a prescribed essay topic as opposed to 话题作文 (open-topic essay). As a noun in logic, 命题 denotes a declarative statement with a truth value. It should be distinguished from 问题 (question/problem) and 议题 (issue for discussion): 命题 is always a declarative statement, not a question.

In philosophy, 命题 is the standard translation of "proposition" and appears frequently in works on logic, epistemology, and philosophy of language.

Memory Hook

命 (to decree/name) + 题 (topic) — a 命题 is a "decreed topic," whether the thesis you must prove or the exam question you must answer.