Syllogism as Structure in Essays and Speeches: Providing Clarity
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| The syllogism makes a great organizational strategy when writing argumentative essays and speeches. |
The form of a syllogism, a major premise followed by a minor premise and a conclusion, makes an excellent structural framework for short essays and speeches.
When using the syllogism as a structural framework, in addition to using a valid form, each of the premises must be true in order for the argument to be sound.
In paragraph form, a writer has an opportunity to prove each premise is true using a variety of rhetorical strategies. In general, people should use the principle of charity and give the writer or speaker the benefit of the doubt when a premise or conclusion is stated in an unclear way. However, in some cases it’s extra important to clarify a statement. For example, vagueness, ambiguity, and refutability are three types of errors that require additional clarity, in the form of evidence or revision, in order to convince or persuade a reader that a premise is indeed true and the argument is sound.
Vagueness and Ambiguity
When writing an essay, a writer has only one chance to make himself or herself clear to the reader. That means the writer has to watch out for the pitfalls of vagueness and ambiguity in each and every sentence.
Examples of Vague Language
Some examples of vague language include words like “some,” "good," “very,”
“soon,” and even “etcetera” or “that sort of thing.” Even the use of "you" and other second person pronouns can be vague in writing unless the writer is addressing only one specific person, like in a letter or email. Vague language is imprecise and makes it difficult for a reader to understand a writer's ideas.
Think about the following sentence: “Some people will be
here soon for the thing.” This sentence is extremely vague. It could mean that
150 guests will be arriving for the wedding in twenty minutes, or it could mean
that two movers are arriving in six hours to pick up a piano, or it could mean
a delegation of ten faculty members from China are arriving in a month for a
conference.
In order to eliminate vagueness and better persuade readers
that an argument is sound, be sure to avoid vague language and use terminology
that helps specify and clarify a premise. If necessary, include definitions in
order to make a point as clearly as possible.
Examples of Ambiguous Language
Ambiguity can be caused by poor grammatical construction,
oftentimes in the use of antecedents and pronouns or because of misplaced or
dangling modifiers.
Think about the following sentence: “The assistant took the
cats out of the carriers and placed them on the floor.” Because of the
construction of that sentence, the reader may be unsure about what’s being
placed on the floor: the cats, the carriers, or the cats and the carriers. Although
it may seem unimportant within the context of reading this blog post, it would
be imperative that an attorney ask for clarification if this information were
part of a murder trial.
Misplaced and dangling modifiers can also cause confusion. Think
about this sentence: “After biting the woman, the police officer took the dog
to the shelter.” This sentence needs revision because it reads as though the
police officer bit the woman. The officer certainly may have bitten the woman,
but because it’s not a common occurrence, the point should be clarified.
In order to eliminate ambiguity in writing, check all
pronouns to be sure the antecedents are clearly identifiable, and reword
sentences that may contain ambiguous antecedents or modifiers that do not
modify the words they are supposed to modify. Unclear premises within a
syllogism are not entirely true and leave room for refutation.
Refutability
The “Syllogism and Enthymeme” page of the AP Language and Literature course Web
site offers an excellent explanation of refutability in the context of the
syllogism. The writers offer a definition of “syllogism” and follow it with an
example that uses an irrefutable generalization as the major premise.
Syllogism – Logical reasoning from inarguable premises; the
conclusion is unarguable if the syllogism is structured correctly.
Example: Socrates is human, so he is mortal.
·
Major
Premise: All humans are mortal (irrefutable generalization)
·
Minor
Premise: Socrates is a human
·
Conclusion:
Therefore, Socrates is mortal
The writers go on to define “enthymeme” and offer an example
of a syllogism that leaves room for refutation within the major premise. In
this example, the premise makes the reader wonder what is meant by “strong.”
Enthymeme – Logical reasoning with one premise left unstated;
instead of having irrefutable general truth for major premise, it is an
assumption, statement, or proposition that the writer presumes and the audience
accepts.
Example: Because John is a man, he is strong.
·
Major
Premise: Men are strong (refutable, begs the question)
·
Minor
Premise: John is a man.
·
Conclusion:
Therefore, John is strong.
The responsibility of a writer, especially when arguing for
an enthymeme or using a refutable premise, is to be sure to find evidence
that convinces or persuades the audience to accept the premises and each subsequent conclusion. It may take a few sentences or even a full paragraph, for example,
to prove that “Men are strong.” It may require that a writer define the words “men”
and “strong” in context of the argument. The writer may have to provide not
only definitions, but examples and descriptions or even narratives that help
readers understand what is meant by “Men are strong.”
The goal is clarity.
When a writer uses the syllogism form to construct an essay
or speech, that writer must carefully consider each and every statement to be
sure each premise is true, each word used is the most specific word,
and any refutable statements are proven with strong evidence.
Works Cited
“Syllogism
and Enthymeme.” AP Language and
Literature,
https://sites.google.com/site/wissahickonaplang/rhetoric/enthymeme-syllogism.
Accessed 7 Jan. 2020.
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Copyright Amy Lynn Hess. Please contact the author for permission to republish.
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