You're right. Many people use the term to criticise an argument that forces the
answer that you want. That's really 'beg the answer' I suppose. In fact it is
circular reasoning where you confuse premises and conclusion -
Begging the question fallacy
Assuming the conclusion or part of the conclusion in the premises of an
argument. (Sometimes called circular reasoning.)
Examples:
“To cast abortion as a solely private moral question,…is to lose touch with
common sense: how human beings treat one another is practically the definition
of a public moral matter. Of course, there are many private aspects of human
relations, but the question whether one human being should be allowed fatally
to harm another is not one of them. Abortion is an inescapably public matter.”
H.M. Alvaré
In this example, the conclusion that abortion is a public matter simply
restates an earlier premise. It is mere repetition rather than argument. The
argument can be restructured to reach the same point more legitimately.
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 28/05/2011, at 12:03 AM, Bob Whitmire wrote:
> I'll be sure to get it. Always enjoy reading about fallacies. And even though
> I sometimes can't resist the urge to push buttons and pull chains, I do have
> my own set of language bugaboos. Right now it's "Beg the question." My wife
> and I argue about this one all the time.
>
> There's a character on a popular TV crime show, NCIS: Los Angeles, whose name
> is Henrietta, also known as Hettie. She is played by the talented and
> infinitely durable Linda Hunt. Hettie, to say the least, is one superbly
> intelligent creature, not to mention knowledgeable about many esoteric
> things. Two or three times now she's used the phrase "this begs the question"
> in the sense that "this demands an answer" or variations thereof. That's
> wrong. Not to be pedantic (ouch!), but begging the question properly means
> something more like circular reasoning.
--
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