Final answer:
Modus ponens, also known as the law of detachment, is a rule of inference in logic that allows us to conclude the consequent of a conditional statement when its antecedent is true.
Step-by-step explanation:
Modus ponens, also known as the law of detachment, is a rule of inference in logic. It states that if a conditional statement is true and its antecedent (the if clause) is also true, then its consequent (the then clause) must be true as well. In other words, if 'If P, then Q' is true and 'P' is true, then 'Q' must be true.
For example, if we have the conditional statement 'If it is raining, then the ground is wet' and we know that it is indeed raining, then we can conclude that the ground is wet.
This rule relies on the idea that if a necessary condition (the antecedent) is satisfied, then the consequent will also be true.