begging the question

begging the question
   Strictly speaking, to beg a question is to present as proof something that itself needs proving. Bernstein cites as an example the sentence "Parallel lines will never meet because they are parallel." The second half of the sentence only seems to support the first; it doesn't offer actual proof. The problem is that there is little need for a phrase that describes a specific logical fallacy, whereas there is an evident need for a phrase that describes a question that has not been adequately dealt with. So for many years people have used begging the question in a variety of other senses-to invite a question, to evade a question, to confuse an issue-to the extent that many users, perhaps most, are unaware of the phrases original meaning in logic. Those who wish to stay on the side of tradition doubtless have virtue in their corner, but the weight of usage is clearly against them, and I am inclined to think that insisting absolutely on the traditional sense is more a favor to pedantry than to clarity.

Dictionary of troublesome word. . 2013.

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  • Begging the question — Bust of Aristotle, whose Prior Analytics contained an early discussion of this fallacy. Begging the question (or petitio principii, assuming the initial point ) is a type of logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proven is assumed… …   Wikipedia

  • begging the question — noun A logical fallacy in which a premise of an argument contains a direct or indirect assumption that the conclusion is true; offering a circular argument; circular reasoning. It is an instance of begging the question to argue that God can only… …   Wiktionary

  • begging the question — The procedure of assuming what is at issue in an argument. Although the charge is commonly made, there is no logical definition of those kinds of argument that beg the question. In the widest sense, any valid argument might be thought to beg the… …   Philosophy dictionary

  • begging the question — An argument which assumes as proved the very thing in issue …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • question, begging the — See begging the question …   Philosophy dictionary

  • beg the question — verb a) To engage in the logical fallacy of begging the question (petitio principii). The objection is that the argument begs the question, meaning that the premise, that God has all the virtues, assumes the conclusion, that God is benevolent. b) …   Wiktionary

  • beg the question — {v. phr.}, {literary} To accept as true something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid or not answer a question or problem. * /The girls asked Miss Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beg the question — {v. phr.}, {literary} To accept as true something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid or not answer a question or problem. * /The girls asked Miss Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • beg\ the\ question — v. phr. literary To accept as true something that is still being argued about, before it is proved true; avoid or not answer a question or problem. The girls asked Miss Smith if they should wear formal dresses to the party; Miss Smith said they… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • begs\ the\ question — Traditionally, this meant that the speaker was assuming that which was to be proved; it now is used to mean raises the question, or the following question is begging to be asked. The fact that Jack recently has been spending so much time with… …   Dictionary of american slang

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