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Enthymemes are abbreviated versions of syllogisms, omitting one premise and often structured as “because” statements. They are used to simplify abstract concepts and strengthen arguments by forcing the audience to deduce the conclusion. They are commonly used in rhetoric, with examples including arguments for and against legalized abortion.
An enthymeme is an informal or abbreviated version of a syllogism. A syllogism is an argument structured in deductive logic that contains two premises that are assumed to be true and a conclusion drawn from those premises. Enthymemes usually omit one of the premises and are often structured as “because” statements. In addition to logic and philosophy, enthymemes are used in rhetoric.
A syllogism contains a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. They are simple logical constructs that assume that since the premises are true, the conclusion proves to be true. For example, “All dogs are canines. Sally is a dog. So Sally is a dog” is a syllogism.
An enthymeme takes the premises and conclusion of the syllogism and shortens them: “Sally is a dog because she is a dog.” This sentence condenses the minor premise and conclusion into one sentence and omits the major premise altogether. An enthymeme might be used when a premise seems obvious, as is the case with the canine example. Alternatively, an enthymeme could be used to strengthen an argument when a premise isn’t particularly strong or could damage the main point of the argument.
By omitting the conclusion rather than the premise of the syllogism, an enthymeme allows the reader to deduce the conclusion for himself. Forcing the audience to take that final step strengthens the argument, in theory, because readers have to think up the closing statement themselves rather than having it told to them. For example, the enthymeme “people who graduate from culinary school know how to cook. Sophie graduated from culinary school” omits the conclusion that Sophie can cook, leaving the readers to deduce for themselves.
However, enthymemes and syllogisms don’t always deal with simple concepts like dogs and cooking schools. Their purpose is most often to simplify abstract concepts to gain a better understanding of the validity of those ideas. This concept is clearly seen in rhetoric, where enthymemes often explicitly or implicitly serve as thesis for essays.
For example, a basic argument for legalized abortion can be stated as either a syllogism or an enthymeme. The syllogism states the basic logic behind the argument: “Women have proper control over what happens to their bodies. Prohibiting abortion removes this right. Therefore, it is wrong to ban abortion”. The enthymeme becomes the thesis: “It is wrong to ban abortion because women have the right to control what happens to their bodies.”
Alternatively, the counter-argument can be formulated the same way: “Every child has the right to live. Abortion eliminates this right. Therefore, abortion should be banned”. The enthymeme becomes “Abortion should be banned because every child has the right to live.”
