Logos Appeal in Scholastic Argument: Aristotle's Approach
This paper examines Aristotle's logos appeal — the use of logical reasoning, evidence, and proof — as the most effective rhetorical strategy in scholastic argument. It outlines the key steps required to construct a sound logos-based argument, including examining personal assumptions, avoiding logical fallacies, citing recognized authorities, and using current sources. The paper also addresses a significant drawback of logos: its partial reliance on the enthymeme, a rhetorical syllogism in which some premises are assumed rather than stated. Using the historical example of the Black Death in medieval Europe, the paper illustrates how an argument can appear logically sound yet rest on a fundamentally flawed assumption, leading to harmful consequences.
- Introduction to Logos as a Rhetorical Appeal: Defines logos and its role in argumentation
- Guidelines for Constructing a Logos-Based Argument: Practical steps for building sound logical arguments
- Why Logos Is Central to Scholastic Argument: Three reasons logos dominates scholarly discourse
- The Enthymeme: A Drawback of Logos: Unstated premises weaken logos-based reasoning
- Historical Example: The Black Death and Flawed Assumptions: Medieval plague policy illustrates dangers of false assumptions
- Conclusion: Logos requires sound logic to be understood and effective
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What makes this paper effective
- Balances prescriptive guidance (step-by-step argumentation rules) with critical analysis of logos's limitations, giving the paper a nuanced structure.
- Uses a concrete historical example — the Black Death cat-extermination policy — to illustrate the abstract concept of the enthymeme in a memorable and persuasive way.
- Acknowledges the tension inherent in logos-based reasoning: that even logically structured arguments can fail when built on unverified assumptions.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the effective use of a historical case study to ground an abstract rhetorical concept. By tracing how medieval Europeans reasoned incorrectly from a plausible but false premise, the author shows — rather than merely tells — how enthymematic reasoning can lead to real-world harm. This technique of illustrating theory through application is a hallmark of strong undergraduate argumentation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by defining logos and situating it among Aristotle's three appeals. It then presents a practical checklist for logos-based academic writing, followed by a justification for why logos dominates scholarly discourse. The second half pivots to critique, introducing the enthymeme and developing the Black Death example at length before closing with a reflection on the ongoing challenge of acting under uncertainty.
Introduction to Logos as a Rhetorical Appeal
In any scholastic argument, Aristotle's logos appeal proves the most advantageous and sensible approach. Arguments that base themselves on logos — sometimes called logical appeals — entail proofs and assertions that demonstrate an individual's reasoning skills. Of Aristotle's three rhetorical appeals, logos appears to be the most scholastic; it forms a major part of all college-level writing assignments.
Guidelines for Constructing a Logos-Based Argument
In order to demonstrate that one has meticulously considered the topic under study, the following steps should be followed (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos):
Carefully examine personal assumptions and determine whether, under any conditions, those assumptions could prove wrong. If so, one may need to avoid grounding a claim on them. One must also steer clear of flaws in logic.
Additionally, one must bear in mind not to assume that:
An event is the cause of another simply because it occurred first in sequence. An individual's experience will necessarily be typical of the experiences of others — that is, one's experience may well be unique. Only two alternatives exist to any given problem.
Claims must be carefully phrased: only when there is no exception whatsoever should one make assertions using words such as "everywhere," "everyone," or "always." Every personal claim should be supported using examples, quotations, or statistics. Proofs must come from duly recognized authorities and experts. As far as possible, recent information sources — ideally no older than five years — should be used, since new findings may dispute, supplement, or differ from older ones. Whenever appropriate, scientific or historical comparisons should also be employed.
Why Logos Is Central to Scholastic Argument
All of the aforementioned steps need to be adopted in scholastic arguments for three key reasons. The crux of scholastic argument is facts. Authentic and accurate fact collection and transmission is what scholars as well as journalists must adhere to strictly. Arguments grounded on truths and proofs are more persuasive than arguments that rely solely on reasoning without evidence. Furthermore, human nature inclines us to believe claims that are measurable, countable, analyzable, or perceivable, rather than claims defended solely by words (Arguments based on Facts and Reason — Logos).
Conclusion
In the context of academic arguments, if an individual presents an argument without strong logic — upon which logos, to some extent, relies — the audience will fail to comprehend the logos approach being offered. The enthymeme reminds us that even the most logically structured argument can be undermined by a hidden, faulty premise. Scholars must therefore remain vigilant: not only must they construct arguments carefully, but they must also scrutinize the assumptions on which those arguments rest.
References
Arguments based on Facts and Reason — Logos. Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://home.comcast.net/~lukeythetruck/djole/SchoolPage/SPSCC/English%20102/ArgumentsFacts.htm
Edlund, J., & Pomona, C. (n.d.). Ethos, Logos, Pathos. California State University, Los Angeles. Retrieved October 19, 2015, from
Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
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