Enthymeme
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An enthymeme is a syllogism which omits a premise that is necessary for the conclusion to be true or omits the conclusion itself. The term is also used in a broader context to refer to any informal argument that includes unstated assumptions. While the term existed prior to Aristotle, he was the first to use it in this sense.[1]
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[edit] Example
An example might be something like this:
“”Santa will give you presents because you've been a good boy.
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This statement assumes that Santa gives presents to good boys. This can be restated formally as:
“” *Santa gives presents to good boys. (unstated premise)
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[edit] See also
- Not to be confused with meme
[edit] External links
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ "Enthymeme" in "Aristotle's Rhetoric, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy