{"id":6985,"date":"2019-04-25T12:05:45","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T16:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/?p=6985"},"modified":"2019-04-25T12:05:45","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T16:05:45","slug":"begging-for-a-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/english\/begging-for-a-question\/","title":{"rendered":"Begging for a Question"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo courtesy of Pixabay, CCO<\/p><\/div>\n

We hear it, or read it, all the time in English. A statement is made, followed by \u201c\u2026Which begs the question\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Does it? Does it really?<\/p>\n

I am about to get up on my grammatical soapbox, which is to say that I am about to rant. Forgive me, but it\u2019s time to stop the annoying misuse of an all-too-common English phrase.<\/p>\n

Let me give you a typical example. Consider this exchange between two commentators on a TV talk show:<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time the Press Secretary is interviewed he responds with talking points and never directly answers a question.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s an idiot who will just say the same thing over and over again.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhich begs the question \u2013 Why bother interviewing him at all?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

At this point, I throw something at my television, yelling something about the parentage of the talking heads on the screen in front of me, then turn the TV off. Never, ever<\/strong> follow the phrase begs the question<\/em> with a question!<\/p>\n

Okay. I admit that there are many words and phrases in English which are commonly misused every day. I\u2019m going to go lay down <\/em>is improper, it should be I am going to lie down<\/em>. Fine. We know what you meant, even if you were grammatically incorrect. Or, I could care less<\/em> when the proper phrase is I couldn\u2019t care less<\/em>. That\u2019s the nature of the English language. It gets mangled so often that commonplace mistakes are taken for granted.<\/p>\n

So, why do I flip out when someone follows the phrase Begs the question<\/em> with a question? First, let\u2019s understand what the phrase actually means.<\/p>\n

Begging the question is a logical fallacy<\/strong>. The phrase originated in the 16th century as a mistranslation of the Latin petitio principii<\/em>, which translates to “assuming the initial point”. It is a statement which is assumed to be true without the need to supply proof of its veracity. It is a type of circular reasoning<\/strong>, an argument which requires that the conclusion is true without any supporting facts. Put it another way, the argument is proof of the argument. \u201cGay marriage should be illegal because it is wrong.\u201d That is merely a restatement of the premise of the argument. Such statements beg the question.<\/p>\n

Therefore, if someone presents you with a statement such as, \u201cMozart is the greatest composer of all time because there was never anyone better.\u201d You would be justified in replying, \u201cThat begs the question.\u201d It is the same thing as stating, \u201cAssuming the premise of the argument is evidence of your argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, however, people have interpreted the phrase literally. Somehow, we have come to believe that to beg the question<\/em> is to raise the question<\/em>. Why is it so wrong to misuse the phrase? Because it makes the person who says it, then follows with a question, look foolish. It elevates the fallacy to the status of a debate. You can\u2019t debate circular reasoning. Nor should you. The proper thing to do is to call out logical fallacies whenever you hear them.<\/p>\n

In the earlier example, the television commentators should have said, \u201cThe Press Secretary is an idiot who says the same thing over and over again.\u201d <\/em>Followed by, \u201cWhich raises the question \u2013 Why have him on at all?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In every case, when someone follows the phrase, Which begs the question\u2026<\/em> with a question, they really mean to say, Which raises the question\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Rant over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

We hear it, or read it, all the time in English. A statement is made, followed by \u201c\u2026Which begs the question\u2026\u201d Does it? Does it really? I am about to get up on my grammatical soapbox, which is to say that I am about to rant. Forgive me, but it\u2019s time to stop the annoying…<\/p>\n

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