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Showing results for tags 'Begging the Question'.
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Okay, we've *all* heard "That begs the question ..." usually followed by a question. It's all wrong. The definition of "begging the question" is *simple*, but only once you're finally told what it really means. Here's what it really means: You can remove the words "begging the question," and substitute the words "using a faulty proposition." That's it. That's all there is. "To beg the question" is "to use a faulty proposition." When you use the term correctly, it's followed by a period. Full stop. Here is the only example you need: * "That tree is green. Therefore, its leaves are going to turn brown and drop off this autumn." That begs the question. In other words, that uses a faulty proposition. The proposition implies that all green trees are deciduous, and lose their leaves in the autumn, which is false. I credit Grammar Girl for the correct definition. However, she takes it a step further, which I can't agree with. She would also use this example: * "Chocolate is delicious. Because it's yummy." Grammar Girl says that is also an example of "begging the question" (after all, who's to say that chocolate is delicious?) - when a conclusion merely restates the proposition, such as in this case, she says it begs the question. However, I *strongly* prefer the term "circular reasoning" to describe this logical fallacy, and must distinguish it from the other case, which is very different in my eyes. They are two distinct logical fallacies. I claim that the *only* time it's correct to use the term "begs the question" is if - and only if - you can substitute the words "uses a faulty proposition" instead. (Even if I'm wrong about the second example, you'll still be a lot better off than you were a minute ago - and why not play it safe?) That's it - that's all there is to it. It does *not* mean, "That raises the question." That's how everybody uses it, and they're *all wrong*. Don't make that mistake because, even though most people won't know better, *you'll* know better. People that use the phrase incorrectly are trying to sound educated, but in fact, are completely wrong, wrong, wrong. This entire article is worth reading: Aug 19, 2008 - "Begs the Question - What 'Begs the Question' Really Means" by Mignon Fogarty (Grammar Girl) on quickanddirtytips.com (Note the link to a revised 2014 article.)
