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An enthymeme is a syllogism (a three-part deductive argument) with an unstated assumption which must be true for the premises to lead to the conclusion. In an enthymeme, part of the argument is missing because it is assumed. A syllogism (Greek: συλλογισμός — conclusion, inference), more correctly a categorical syllogism, is a kind of logical argument in which one proposition (the conclusion) is inferred from two others (the premises). ...
In logic, an argument is an attempt to demonstrate the truth of an assertion called a conclusion, based on the truth of a set of assertions called premises. ...
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. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ...
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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)
More examples First example: Socrates is mortal because he's human. Socrates (Greek: ΣωκÏάτης, invariably anglicized as , SÇ’cratÄ“s; 470–399 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ...
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." The major premise in a categorical syllogism is the premise whose terms are the syllogisms major term and middle term. ...
In a categorical syllogism, the minor premise is the premise whose terms are the syllogisms minor term and middle term. ...
This argument is based on one used by Johnnie Cochran in his defense of O. J. Simpson. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947, San Francisco, California), publicly known by his initials as O. J., and nicknamed The Juice, is a former college and professional football player and film actor. ...
The complete syllogism would be:
- If evidence does not fit - acquittal is required (major premise - assumed)
- The glove doesn't fit the defendant. (minor premise - stated)
- 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 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 A definite description is a denoting phrase in the form of the X where X is a noun-phrase or a singular common noun that picks out a specific individual or object. ...
- 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. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with fallacy. ...
It has been suggested that Personal attack be merged into this article or section. ...
Two wrongs make a right is a logical fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that if one wrong is committed, another second wrong will cancel it out. ...
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. Look up Humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Look up surprise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
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.
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. Billboards and street advertising in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, (2005) Advertising is drawing public attention to goods and services by promoting businesses, and is performed through a variety of media. ...
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.
See also It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with fallacy. ...
Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy was a famous statement made by U.S. Democratic vice-presidential candidate Senator Lloyd Bentsen to Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator J. Danforth Quayle during the 1988 vice-presidential debate. ...
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