Enthymemes and Thymos - brief notes

[Costin Radu]

I read Aristotle's 'Rhetoric' and realized that the etymological root of the word is very important in order to establish what Aristotle really meant to say and how the enthymeme can be defined. The word thymos plays a very important part here. Logicians (following Boethius) tend to define enthymeme only as an argument with missing premises. But, the presence of the word thymos in the etymological root tells us that the enthymeme is more than this or that this definition is incomplete (at least from a rhetorical point of view). It is an argument with one or more missing premises (or the conclusion), but we must surely add that the missing premises address or somehow relates to people's thymos. I have seen that some authors consider thymos as mind so, it is now clear why those authors consider the enthymeme as addressing to the mind or as "remembered in the mind". I guess that it is because they think that the missing premises of the enthymeme can be filled in by rational thinking. Some other authors consider thymos as feelings, as heart or emotions. I have also seen that thymos is defined as spirit. So, depending on how they define thymos they define the enthymeme, or, at least, they mention something about to which part of human spirit the enthymeme addresses to.

Aristotle says in the Rhetoric that the enthymemes are "the substance of rhetorical persuasion" (translated by W. Rhys Roberts) so I believe that Aristotle considered that enthymemes are so strong in addressing to popular audiences because they address to thymos. 

To cut it short, my findings tell me that there is a modern and a classic understanding of the enthymeme. The modern meaning of enthymeme is the interpretation that comes from logic (arguments with unstated premises/conclusion) and the classic that comes from Aristotle (a syllogism based on probabilities or signs). I would add to the classic understanding that we must relate the force of enthymemes to the "thymos", because this is why the word exists in the etymological root. 

 

I wish to thank you again for your effort of responding to my questions. I also wish to ask your help in telling me something about what "thymos" means because it somehow relates more to philosophy that to rhetoric. References will be also of much help. 

 

I found a very interesting article called "Enthymemes, Common Knowledge, and Plausible Inference" by WALTON, Douglas, Philosophy and Rhetoric, vol. 34, No.2, 2001, Pennsylvania State University.

 

Best Regards,

Radu C.

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