Toulmin Argument Enthymeme

(This is now a page about Enthymeme. Toulmin arguments are a boring, bloated, and stupid way of restating something that Aristotle already called the enthymeme (and, besides, enthymeme is a cooler word)

Introduction

• To understand rhetoric, we need to gain some understanding on how arguments work, on a formal level.

The Enthymeme

• Aristotle (again, he did write the book on the subject after all) coined the term enthymeme to describe a basic and informal logical argument.
• Largely the framework of modern argumentation: a sentence or fragment that contains two elements, a claim and a reason.
  • We’d better cancel the picnic because it’s going to rain.
  • Flat taxes are fair because they treat everyone the same.
  • I’ll buy a Honda Civic because it’s cheap and reliable.
• Enthymemes often form an implicit conclusion that is left out (either because it is dubious or because it is obvious).
• Explicit major premise (larger cultural assumptions) from above:
  • Rain ruins a picnic (obvious).
  • Taxes that treat everyone the same are the best (dubious).
  • A cheap and reliable car is best for me (obvious).
• Expanding the first enthymeme:
  • We’d better cancel the picnic this afternoon because the weather bureau is predicting a 70 percent chance of rain for the remainder of the day.
• Makes a number of assumptions here:
  • Picnics are ordinarily held outdoors.
  • When the weather is bead, it’s best to cancel picnics.
  • Rain is bad weather for picnics.
  • A 70% chance of rain means that rain is more likely to occur than not.
  • When rain is more likely to occur than not, it makes sense to cancel picnics.
  • The weather bureau’s predictions are reliable enough to warrant action.
• Looking at the major premise and assumptions of an enthymeme in the wild can go a long way to testing the validity of an argument.
• Composing an enthymeme is often a convenient way to begin thinking through an argument.
  • Start with the enthymeme and move backwards to what sorts of background assumptions and cultural details will need to be discussed.
  • What authorities can you bring in?
  • How can you use emotional appeals to bring your readers into agreement?
• As you start composing, you can form an enthymeme with more claims: this is the basis, the skeleton, of your argument: we should (or shouldn’t) do u because of v,w,x,y, and z.
  • Remember, enthymemes may have to be qualified to meet audience requirements or the needs of “reality”. This is part of the process of expansion.

Let’s Look At Some Enthymemes

• I will not pass this class because I don’t have time to write my research paper.
  • Claim?
  • Reason?
  • Major Premise?
• George W. Bush is a fine statesmen because he is a master of the art of compromise
  • Claim?
  • Reason?
  • Major Premise?

Prolepsis (how the future makes you smart)

• Another important greek word that can still be useful to any budding rhetoric ninja.
• Two definitions:
  • The act of anticipating audience objections
  • The act of speaking about some future event as though it has already happened.
• More commonly used is the first.
• Example:
  • “I would imagine most people think this claim to be impossible, well, to them I say: ... ”
• Why would anticipating objections (counterarguments) be so important?
  • Allow us to address our readers more specifically.
  • Can make your own argument seem stronger by showing how other, competing or dissenting arguments are weaker
• Once again, as with the concept of topoi discussed earlier, we see the importance of audience to a successful practice of rhetoric.
• In rhetorical writing (all communication really) we are always arguing in a commons or a community of readers. Nothing is ever written for no one to read (even journals and diaries have anticipated readers).
  • Talk about people losing jobs over Facebook crap. Classic example of failing to think proleptically.
  • Anticipating your audience is the most important aspect of an rhetorical composition: it drives everything else you do (even the construction of your enthymeme).