Begging of the question
1begging 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… …
2Begging 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… …
3begging 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 …
4begging 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… …
5To beg the question — Beg Beg, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Begged}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Begging}.] [OE. beggen, perh. fr. AS. bedecian (akin to Goth. bedagwa beggar), biddan to ask. (Cf. {Bid}, v. t.); or cf. beghard, beguin.] 1. To ask earnestly for; to entreat or supplicate… …
6begging the question — An argument which assumes as proved the very thing in issue …
7beg 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) …
8beg 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… …
9beg 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… …
10beg\ 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… …
