Argumentation Oct 2025 Open Access

Finding the Missing Link: An Algorithmic Approach to Reconstructing Enthymemes

Ameer Saadat-Yazdi University of Edinburgh ; Jean H. M. Wagemans University of Amsterdam

Abstract

Abstract Enthymemes are arguments that are not fully articulated, often omitting a connection between premise and conclusion but sometimes also other information that is crucial for their interpretation. This implicitness poses challenges for the analysis and evaluation of argumentative discourse. We use the concept of “argument form” as employed in the argument classification framework of the Periodic Table of Arguments to address this issue. By developing an algorithmic procedure grounded in this concept, we provide a method for explicating missing statements and connections condensed in enthymemes. Our approach contributes to understanding the pragmatics of argumentation, as it offers a formal framework for analysing how the interpretation of implicit elements in argumentation arises from apparent non-sequiturs. The algorithmic procedure we developed can function as a guideline for human annotation of argumentative discourse and is also suitable for implementation in (AI-assisted) annotation software for argument mining.

Journal
Argumentation
Published
2025-10-30
DOI
10.1007/s10503-025-09682-z
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
OA PDF Hybrid
Topics
discourse analysis argument assessment
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (2)

  1. Hinton et al. (2022)
    Evaluating Reasoning in Natural Arguments: A Procedural Approach
    Argumentation
  2. Hitchcock (1992)
    Relevance
    Argumentation
Also cites 19 works outside this index ↓
  1. HP Grice (1957)
    Grice, H.P. 1957. Meaning. The Philosophical Review 66 (3): 377–388. https://doi.org/10.2307/2182440.
    The Philosophical Review  ↗
  2. YN Kenett (2017)
    Kenett, Y.N., E. Levi, D. Anaki, and M. Faust. 2017. The semantic distance task: Quantifying semantic distanc…
    Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition  ↗
  3. J Lawrence (2019)
    Lawrence, J., and C. Reed. 2019. Argument mining: A survey. Computational Linguistics 45 (4): 765–818. https:…
    Computational Linguistics  ↗
  4. DL Medin (2003)
    Medin, D. L., J. D. Coley, G. Storms, and B. L. Hayes. 2003. A relevance theory of induction. Psychonomic Bul…
    Psychonomic Bulletin & Review  ↗
  5. E Rigotti (2019)
    Inference in Argumentation: A Topics-Based Approach to Argument Schemes
     ↗
  6. Saadat-Yazdi, A., and N. Kökciyan. 2024. Beyond recognising entailment: Formalising natural language inferenc…
     ↗
  7. Saadat-Yazdi, A., J.Z. Pan, and N. Kokciyan. 2023. Uncovering implicit inferences for improved relational arg…
     ↗
  8. M Singer (1992)
    Singer, M., M. Halldorson, J. C. Lear, and P. Andrusiak. 1992. Validation of causal bridging inferences in di…
    Journal of Memory and Language  ↗
  9. Tindale, C. 2004. Rhetorical Argumentation: Principles of Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, California: SAG…
     ↗
  10. FH van Eemeren (2018)
    Argumentation Theory: A Pragma-Dialectical Perspective
     ↗
  11. van Eemeren, F.H., B. Garssen, E.C.W. Krabbe, A.F.S. Henkemans, B. Verheij, and J.H.M. Wagemans. 2014. The Pr…
     ↗
  12. FH van Eemeren (2014)
    Handbook of Argumentation Theory
     ↗
  13. van Eemeren, F.H., and R. Grootendorst. 1984. Speech Acts in Argumentative Discussions: A Theoretical Model f…
     ↗
  14. Wagemans, J. 2016. Constructing a Periodic Table of Arguments. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.21…
     ↗
  15. J Wagemans (2019)
    Wagemans, J. 2019. Four basic argument forms. Research in Language 17 (1): 57–69. https://doi.org/10.2478/rel…
    Research in Language  ↗
  16. J Wagemans (2023)
    Wagemans, J. 2023. How to identify an argument type? On the hermeneutics of persuasive discourse. Journal of …
    Journal of Pragmatics  ↗
  17. D Walton (2008)
    Argumentation Schemes
     ↗
  18. H Wang (2022)
    Wang, H., K. Qin, R.Y. Zakari, G. Lu, and J. Yin. 2022. Deep neural network-based relation extraction: An ove…
    Neural Computing and Applications  ↗
  19. Xue, L., D. Zhang, Y. Dong, and J. Tang. 2024. AutoRE: Document-level relation extraction with large language…
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 0 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Argumentation Mar 2026
    Experimental Insights into the Influence of Logic and Pragmatics on Conditional Argument Evaluation ↗
    Ermioni Seremeta; Monique Flecken; Menno Reijven; Jean Wagemans
    discourse analysis argument assessment
  2. Argumentation Oct 2025
    Practical Argumentation and Rhetorical Structure Theory ↗
    Nancy Green
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument assessment
  3. Argumentation Aug 2025
    Informal Formative Assessment in Argumentation-Based Science Education: A Micro-Analytic Investigation of Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices ↗
    Metin Sardag; Gultekin Cakmakci
    discourse analysis writing pedagogy argument assessment professional writing empirical research qualitative research
  4. Written Communication Jul 2025
    Synthesizing Professional Knowledge and Racial Literacy Content Through Explicit Composing Instruction: A Discourse Synthesis Study ↗
    Jenifer Jasinski Schneider; James R. King; Gretchen Dodson
    discourse analysis writing pedagogy teacher development argument assessment literacy studies race and writing
  5. Research in the Teaching of English May 2025
    Argument as Architecture: Constructing an Alternative K–12 Writing Paradigm for Collective Civic Futures ↗
    Nicole Mirra; Kia Turner; Antero Garcia
    discourse analysis writing pedagogy argument assessment multimodality literacy studies