Solving natural syllogisms
Guy Politzer · 2010
Natural syllogisms are expressed in terms of classes and properties of the real world (usually of daily life). They exploit a categorisation present in semantic memory that provides a class inclusion structure. they are enthymematic (the class inclusion of the minor premise is implicit) and typically occur within a dialogue. Their form is identical to a formal syllogism once the minor premise is made explicit. It is claimed that reasoners routinely execute natural_syllogisms in an effortless manner based on ecthesis, which is primed by the class inclusion structure kept in long term memory.