How do enthymemes relate to logos?
Enthymemes are a rhetorical tool used to persuade an audience through the use of logic and reasoning. As such, they have a strong relationship with logos, which refers to the use of logical appeals in persuasion. Enthymemes are essentially logical syllogisms where one premise is left unstated, allowing the audience to fill in the missing piece of information and draw the logical conclusion.
In this sense, enthymemes play a crucial role in appealing to logos by presenting a reasoned argument. They rely on the premise that audience members will possess certain background knowledge or common sense in order to make the missing connection and understand the implied premise. By doing so, enthymemes seek to persuade the audience by appealing to their sense of logic and rational thinking.
Enthymemes, therefore, leverage logos by utilizing logic and reasoning to make a persuasive case. They encourage the audience to engage their critical thinking skills and draw logical inferences to reach the intended conclusion. By employing enthymemes, speakers or writers can strengthen their arguments by appealing to the audience's logical faculties and creating a more convincing and compelling persuasive appeal.