beg the question
verbEtymology Translating Latin petītiō prīncipiī, itself translating Ancient Greek τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ αἰτεῖσθαι (tò en arkhēî aiteîsthai, “to assume from the beginning”).
1
Human sciences, Law, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences 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.1994, D. N. Walton, “Begging the question as a pragmatic fallacy.”, in Synthese, volume 100, number 1:
2
To sidestep or fail to address a question.
- 1860, Henry Adams, letter, 6 May However I hope we shall do better as we go on and as long as there's no dodging or begging the question on our side, I'm not afraid.
3
Proscribed, Sometimes To raise or prompt a question.
- Three people were hurt in the fire at the warehouse last night, which begs the question: what were they doing there in the first place?
- Invariably, the principal object is to improve air quality. But those constraints beg the question: why has no city followed Nottingham's example of a workplace parking levy, which has generated about £10 million a year to finance the city's tram system?2024 March 6, Steve Edwards discusses with Anthony Lambert, “The bedrock of urban renewal”, in RAIL, number 1004, page 35:
- Related terms
- begging the question, question the question