Research into the Enthymeme and Its Application
However, it seems that the enthymeme has not got its due attention, just as Aristotle
once said:
...Now, the framers of the current treatises on rhetoric have constructed but a small
portion of that art. The modes of persuasion are the only true constituents of the art:
everything else is merely accessory. These writers, however, say nothing about
enthymemes, which are the substance of rhetorical persuasion, but deal mainly with
no-essentials (Rhetoric, 1954: 20).
In the eyes of many people, the enthymeme is merely connected with scientific and
logical styles since it is often mentioned as “rhetorical syllogism.” In fact, the
enthymeme is also found in styles other than the previous two. It can be used
everywhere in our daily life. For example, the sentence “Mary will fail her final exam
because she hasn’t studied” is an enthymeme. The enthymeme is used so often that
people seldom notice that they are using it.
The history of enthymeme can be traced back to ancient Greece where Isocrates
(436-338 B.C.E.), one of the influential rhetoricians of the time, gave the enthymeme a
central place in his conception of rhetorical skill. And it was Aristotle who gave the
enthymeme a rough description and set up its position in rhetoric.
Despite the much attention he paid to the enthymeme, Aristotle failed to give a
clear definition to this concept. The study of the enthymeme, as it turned out, was put
aside for a long time. When the enthymeme became a hot topic again with the arising of
classical rhetorical study, the inexplicit definition made the academicians debate for a
long time. As a result, there are many different definitions of enthymeme, most of
which misunderstand the essence of the enthymeme.
In modern times, the enthymeme is often connected with syllogism, and it is
considered as “imperfect syllogism” by many academicians. If you have a close look at
the Rhetoric, you will find some differences in the definition and description between
the classical and modern rhetoric.
Under this circumstance, the first priority is to give a workable definition of the
enthymeme. Only when this is done, can the enthymeme be practically used.
Take the teaching of English writing to Chinese students as an example. It has long
been considered as one of the most difficult tasks in the English classroom. The students
are often bothered by questions like “what to say about it?” or “how to write?” And