“For each major claim you encounter, ask: What must be true for this argument to work? Name the unstated belief that bridges evidence to conclusion.”
Why This Ritual Matters
Every argument is an iceberg. The visible portion — the stated claims, the cited evidence, the explicit reasoning — sits above the waterline. But beneath the surface lies something larger: the assumptions that hold everything together. These are the beliefs the author takes for granted, the premises too obvious (to them) to mention, the worldview that shapes what counts as evidence in the first place.
Learning to find argument assumptions transforms you from a passive receiver of claims into an active evaluator. When an author argues that “since test scores are declining, we need more standardized testing,” they’re assuming that testing improves scores, that test scores measure what matters, and that more of a tool means better outcomes. None of these assumptions are stated — but all of them must be true for the argument to work.
The skill matters because assumptions are often where arguments are weakest. A clever author can construct impressive evidence and airtight logic, but if the hidden assumption fails, the whole structure collapses. Critical readers learn to look beneath the waterline.
Today’s Practice
As you read today, pause whenever you encounter a significant claim — especially one that moves from evidence to conclusion. Before evaluating whether you agree, ask yourself: What must be true for this argument to work? What’s the author taking for granted?
Write down the claim, then write down the hidden assumption you’ve identified. Sometimes there are multiple assumptions; identify the most critical one, the belief that, if false, would most undermine the argument.
How to Practice
- Identify the claim structure. Find statements where evidence leads to a conclusion. Look for patterns like “Since X, therefore Y” or “Because of A, we should do B.” The space between evidence and conclusion is where assumptions hide.
- Ask the bridging question. What must be true for this conclusion to follow from this evidence? What belief connects them? The answer is often an assumption about causation, value, or category.
- Test the assumption. Would a reasonable person disagree with this unstated belief? Could someone accept the evidence but reject the conclusion by rejecting the assumption? If yes, you’ve found a significant assumption.
- Consider worldview assumptions. Some assumptions aren’t about facts but about values. What does the author believe about human nature, society, morality, or progress? These deeper assumptions often go unexamined.
- Note without judging. Finding an assumption doesn’t mean the argument is wrong. It means you now understand it more completely. Some assumptions are reasonable; others are contestable. Awareness comes first, evaluation second.
Consider an article arguing: “Social media companies should be held liable for harmful content because they profit from user engagement.”
The stated evidence: social media companies profit from engagement. The conclusion: they should be liable for harmful content. What’s the hidden assumption bridging these?
One assumption: that profiting from a platform makes you responsible for its misuse. This assumption draws from a principle about corporate responsibility, but it’s not obvious. Newspapers profit from readership but aren’t liable for every harmful letter to the editor. Telephone companies profit from calls but aren’t liable for fraud conducted over their lines.
Another assumption: that “engagement” is morally equivalent to “harmful content.” But engagement includes cat videos and recipe shares alongside outrage and misinformation. The argument assumes these are connected in a way that justifies liability.
Finding these assumptions doesn’t settle the debate — but it transforms it. Now you can evaluate whether you accept the underlying principles, not just the surface claim.
What to Notice
Pay attention to how assumptions cluster. Authors from particular intellectual traditions share common assumptions — about markets, government, human nature, progress. Once you recognize these patterns, you can predict what’s taken for granted before it’s revealed.
Notice where assumptions feel uncomfortable to articulate. Sometimes you’ll sense an assumption without being able to name it. That discomfort is informative — it often signals assumptions that are culturally pervasive or emotionally charged.
Watch for your own assumptions meeting the author’s. When you agree strongly with a conclusion, you likely share the hidden assumptions. When you reject a conclusion despite accepting the evidence, you likely reject an assumption. Naming these moments sharpens your self-understanding.
The Science Behind It
Cognitive psychologists call hidden assumptions “bridging inferences” — the mental leaps readers must make to connect stated propositions. Research by Graesser and colleagues shows that skilled readers generate these inferences automatically, while struggling readers often miss the gaps entirely.
The Toulmin model of argumentation, developed by philosopher Stephen Toulmin, makes assumptions explicit. He distinguished between “data” (evidence), “claim” (conclusion), and “warrant” (the assumption that authorizes the inference). Critical analysis, in Toulmin’s framework, involves making warrants visible and questioning whether they should be accepted.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s work on cognitive biases reveals why assumptions hide so effectively. They operate in what he calls “System 1” — the fast, automatic thinking that processes information below conscious awareness. Bringing assumptions to consciousness requires deliberate, effortful “System 2” thinking.
Connection to Your Reading Journey
This ritual marks your entry into the Depth sub-sequence of April’s Comprehension month. You’ve learned to understand what authors say; now you’re learning to examine how they think. Finding assumptions is the first of several depth-analysis skills that will transform you from a comprehender into a critic.
Tomorrow’s ritual on tone shifts complements this one. While assumptions are logical substrates, tone reveals emotional substrates — the feelings and attitudes that color an argument. Together, these skills give you X-ray vision into texts.
In the larger arc of your reading development, assumption-finding represents a critical threshold. Before this skill, you could agree or disagree with arguments. After it, you can understand why you agree or disagree — and you can engage with others who hold different assumptions rather than merely talking past them.
The most significant hidden assumption I found in today’s reading was __________. I (agree/disagree) with this assumption because __________. If someone rejected this assumption, they might conclude __________ instead.
What assumptions do you bring to your reading? What do you take for granted about human nature, society, or knowledge that shapes which arguments seem obvious and which seem absurd?
Frequently Asked Questions
Go Deeper Than Daily Rituals
6 courses. 1,098 practice questions. 365 articles — each with PDF analysis, RC questions, audio podcast, and video breakdown. Plus a reading community with 1,000+ fresh articles a year. This is the complete reading transformation system.
Start Learning →255 More Rituals Await
Day 110 is done. Your reading transformation has begun. The Ultimate Reading Course takes you further — 6 courses, 1,098 questions, 365 analysed articles, video and audio breakdowns, and a community of readers. One program, complete mastery.
