ABSTRACT
The enthymeme is the main form of classical rhetorical deductive argumentation. Understanding the enthymeme is essential for an analysis of argumentation, and to produce convincing arguments. Understanding the enthymeme includes understanding the difference between formal and informal argumentation. Although research on the enthymeme is plentiful, it is rarely incorporated into practical argumentation models, with discussions often focusing on definitions, rather than uses. Mastering the enthymeme means mastering argumentation. The enthymeme is not only the smallest unit of argumentation, but – together with the paradeigma, a subtype of the enthymeme – the building-block on which all production, analysis, and evaluation are constructed. The overview presented in this chapter discusses the form, parts, implicit elements, strategic use of, and chaining of arguments with enthymemes.
