Enthymeme

Information about Enthymeme

An enthymeme is an informally stated syllogism (a three-part deductive argument) with an unstated assumption that must be true for the premises to lead to the conclusion. In an enthymeme, part of the argument is missing because it is assumed. In a broader usage, the term "enthymeme" is sometimes used to describe an incomplete argument of forms other than the syllogism.^[1] Artistotle gave no complete definition of the Enthymeme in his Rhetoric, and its exact definition has been debated by scholars.

Enthymeme's three parts

The following quotation is an example of an enthymeme.

"There is no law against composing music when one has no ideas whatsoever. The music of Wagner, therefore, is perfectly legal." —Mark Twain.

The three parts:

There is no law against composing music when one has no ideas whatsoever. (premise)

The music of Wagner, therefore, is perfectly legal. (conclusion)

Wagner has no ideas. (implicit premise)

Further examples

First example: Socrates is mortal because he's human.

The complete syllogism would be the classic:

All humans are mortal. (major premise - assumed)

Socrates is human. (minor premise - stated)

Therefore, Socrates is mortal. (conclusion - stated)

Second example: "The glove doesn't fit [the defendant], so you must acquit."

This argument is based on one used by Johnnie Cochran in his defense of O.J. Simpson.

The complete syllogism would be:

If evidence does not fit the defendant, then acquittal is required (major premise - assumed)

The glove doesn't fit the defendant. (minor premise - stated)

The glove is evidence. (minor premise - assumed)

Therefore, you must acquit the defendant. (conclusion - stated)

Stating the argument in this extended form suggests the argument is incomplete. For example, one might be more likely to ask if the glove might have shrunk, ask how "fit" is determined, or ask about the meaning of the expression the glove: What do you mean the glove?. The presence of the definite article the suggests that there is a definite descriptor phrase with the same meaning in this context. Examples of such phrases could be

The glove found at the scene of the crime
The glove used by the assailant.

For some definite descriptor phrases, the major premise of the above syllogism is clearly suspect.

Hidden premises are often an effective way to obscure a questionable or fallacious premise in reasoning. Typically fallacies of presumption (fallacies based on mistaken assumptions, such as ad hominem or two wrongs make a right) are attracted to enthymeme.

Enthymeme use in humor

Enthymeme can be a humorous technique when the hidden premise is something surprising due to the context, its offensiveness or its absurdity.

Example

"Now, I don't know or have never met my candidate; and for that reason I am more apt to say something good of him than anyone else." - Will Rogers.

Use in advertising

Advertisers rarely draw out the links between the images they show and the product they wish to sell. There is no logical connection between a beautiful woman draped across the hood of a red sports car and the value of the car itself, but the advertiser implies a premise that there is. If the advertiser instead simply stated, "Buy this car and you will have more sexual satisfaction" it would be easier to reject as a premise.

To use another example, advertisers often show examples of people enjoying their product. They never actually state that the viewer should purchase the product or service that is bringing the people such enjoyment; it is an implied major premise.

Notes

Enthymemes are generally used for two reasons:

The implied premise is obvious
The implied premise is dubious

An example of the second reason would be, "Of course he is dumb, he is a man." The implied premise is "All men are dumb," which can easily be proven false by proving that one man is not "dumb," so the premise is left out in the hopes that the listener might not realize what was implied. When used in daily conversation, the implied premise is usually less obvious.

References

1. ^ Audi, R. (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy - 2nd ed., pp. 257, 267. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

External links

A syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός — "conclusion," "inference"), (usually the categorical syllogism
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Only a valid argument with true premises must have a true conclusion.
The validity of an argument depends on its form, not on the truth or falsity of its premises and conclusions. Logic seeks to discover the forms of valid arguments.
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Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or "music dramas" as they were later called).
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SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of education. The second phase of the programme covers the period January 1 2000 to December 31 2006. It draws on the experiences of the first phase (1995-1999) building on the successful aspects of the programme,
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In a categorical syllogism, the minor premise is the premise whose terms are the syllogism's minor term and middle term. It is also called the subsumption.

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Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.^[1] (October 2, 1937 – March 29, 2005) was an African American lawyer best known for his role in the legal defense during the O. J. Simpson murder case.
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O. J. Simpson

Position(s): Running back Jersey #(s):
32
Born: July 9 1947 (age 60)

Career Information
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A definite description is a denoting phrase in the form of "the X" where X is a noun-phrase or a singular common noun. The definite description is proper if X applies to a unique individual or object.
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A fallacy is a component of an argument that is demonstrably flawed in its logic or form, thus rendering the argument invalid in whole. In logical arguments, fallacies are either formal or informal.
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An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: "argument to the person", "argument against the man") consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim,
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Two wrongs make a right is a logical fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that if one wrong is committed, another wrong will cancel it out. Like many fallacies, it typically appears as the hidden major premise in an enthymeme—an unstated assumption which must be true for
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Humour or humor (see spelling differences) is the ability or quality of people, objects, or situations to evoke feelings of amusement in other people. The term encompasses a form of entertainment or human communication which evokes such feelings, or which makes people laugh
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Surprise may refer to:

Surprise (emotion)
Surprise party, a party of which the honored person is not told of beforehand.
Surprise factor, the fundamental element in humor that puts a twist on familiar subjects

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William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4 1879 – August 15 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, and actor.

Known as Oklahoma's favorite son,^[1]
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Advertising is paid, one-way communication through a medium in which the sponsor is identified and the message is controlled by the sponsor. Variations include publicity, public relations, etc..
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Rogerian argument is a conflict solving technique based on finding common ground instead of polarizing debate.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Origin

American psychologist Carl R.
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"Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy" was a famous phrase spoken by American Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen to Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator Dan Quayle during the 1988 vice-presidential debate.
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In logic, modus ponendo ponens (Latin: mode that affirms by affirming; often abbreviated MP) is a valid, simple argument form. It is a very common rule of inference, and takes the following form:

If P, then Q.