VOCABULARY FOR SEPTEMBER 30

METONYMY: (me-ton'-y-my) from meta, "change" and onoma, "name"
The misnamer, change of noun or name, transmutation of a word; Reference to something or someone by naming one of its attributes.
Examples:
-The pen is mightier than the sword (The pen is an attribute of thoughts that are written with a pen; the sword is an attribute of military action)
-We await word from the crown.
-The IRS is auditing me? Great. All I need is a couple of suits arriving at my door.

BEGGING THE QUESTION: (can't prove major premise) Also Known as: Circular Reasoning, Reasoning in a Circle, Petitio Principii.
Begging the question, i.e., pretending the opponent already agrees with something that is required for the point being made, though this point is supposed to be evidence for the first thing = like reasoning in a circle. "Every assertion of value," because it presupposes beliefs, would seem like petitio principii even within its own system--but it is more useful to save the term for when those assertions of value are utilized in discussion with an opponent. In other words petitio principii only occurs in an ad hominem discussion (i.e., in trying to persuade an opponent or audience).
-Begging the Question is a fallacy in which the premises include the claim that the conclusion is true or (directly or indirectly) assume that the conclusion is true. This sort of "reasoning" typically has the following form. (The situation that results when a writer or speaker constructs an argument on an assumption that the audience does not accept.)
Ex: This painting is horrible because it is obviously worthless.
1. Premises in which the truth of the conclusion is claimed or the truth of the conclusion is assumed (either directly or indirectly).
2. Claim C (the conclusion) is true.
This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because simply assuming that the conclusion is true (directly or indirectly) in the premises does not constitute evidence for that conclusion. Obviously, simply assuming a claim is true does not serve as evidence for that claim. This is especially clear in particularly blatant cases: "X is true. The evidence for this claim is that X is true."
Some cases of question begging are fairly blatant, while others can be extremely subtle.
Examples of Begging the Question
Interviewer: "Your resume looks impressive but I need another reference."
Bill: "Jill can give me a good reference."
Interviewer: "Good. But how do I know that Jill is trustworthy?"
Bill: "Certainly. I can vouch for her.

ASYNDETON- The omission of conjunctions between related clauses.
Ex: "This is the villain among you who deceived you, who cheated you, who meant to betray you completely." (Aristotle)

POLYSYNDETON- Repetition of conjunctions in close succession.
Ex: "We have ships and men and money and stores."

SYLLOGISM- Logical reasoning from inarguable premises.
Ex: All mortals die. All humans are mortal. All humans die.
ENTHYMEME- Logical reasoning with one premise left unstated.
Ex: We cannot trust this man, for he has perjured himself in the past. (Missing: Those who perjure themselves cannot be trusted.)