In the enthymeme 'Socrates is mortal because he is a man,' what is the unstated premise?
What is a first-order enthymeme?
What is a second-order enthymeme?
Why are enthymemes common in everyday speech?
What is an enthymeme?
A) A syllogism with an extra premise
B) A syllogism with a missing (unstated) premise or conclusion
C) A syllogism with four terms
D) A syllogism that is always invalid
'Socrates is mortal because he is a man.' What is the missing premise?
A) Socrates is wise
B) All men are mortal
C) Some men are mortal
D) Mortal beings are men
A first-order enthymeme is missing which part?
A) The minor premise
B) The conclusion
C) The major premise
D) All three parts
A second-order enthymeme is missing which part?
A) The major premise
B) The minor premise
C) The conclusion
D) The middle term
A third-order enthymeme is missing which part?
A) The major premise
B) The minor premise
C) The conclusion
D) Both premises
'She must be a good student — she got an A on the exam.' What is the unstated major premise?
A) Good students always fail
B) All who get A's on exams are good students
C) Some students get A's
D) Exams are difficult
Why are enthymemes important in rhetoric and everyday reasoning?
A) They are always more valid than full syllogisms
B) They reflect how people naturally argue — leaving obvious premises unstated
C) They guarantee truth
D) They eliminate the need for logic
Hint: Aristotle called the enthymeme the 'body of persuasion'
'No reptiles are warm-blooded, so lizards are not warm-blooded.' What is the missing premise?
A) Lizards are warm-blooded
B) Lizards are reptiles
C) All warm-blooded animals are mammals
D) Some reptiles are lizards
When reconstructing an enthymeme, the first step is to:
A) Determine what the speaker wants you to believe
B) Identify which part is missing (major premise, minor premise, or conclusion)
C) Assume the argument is invalid
D) Add a fourth term
'All classical students study logic. Therefore, Thomas studies logic.' What type of enthymeme is this?
A) First-order (missing major premise)
B) Second-order (missing minor premise)
C) Third-order (missing conclusion)
D) Not an enthymeme