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Simple English definitions for legal terms
beg the question
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A quick definition of beg the question:
Begging the question is when someone makes an argument that assumes the thing they are trying to prove is already true. This is a mistake because it doesn't actually prove anything. It's like saying "I'm the best because I'm the best." This kind of argument can be tricky because it might sound convincing, but it's not really saying anything. People sometimes use this kind of argument without realizing it, or to try to trick others into agreeing with them. The term "begs the question" comes from a famous philosopher named Aristotle.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Begging the question is a logical fallacy in which an argument’s premises assume the truth of the conclusion. This means that the argument is circular and does not provide any real evidence to support the conclusion. It can be looked at as a form of circular reasoning.
For example, if someone says, "I am a good person because I always do the right thing," they are begging the question. The argument assumes that the person always does the right thing, which is the conclusion they are trying to prove.
Another example is, "The Bible is true because it says it is the word of God." This argument assumes that the Bible is the word of God, which is the conclusion they are trying to prove.
Despite their nature as fallacies, arguments that beg the question can be persuasive to parties unaware of the fallacy or who already agree with the conclusion. This is because the argument may sound convincing, even though it is not based on any real evidence.
In common day-to-day speech, “begs the question” is often misused to mean “raises the question”, regardless of whether or not the question raised is an assumption of the statement that raises it.
The term “begs the question” originally comes from the works of Aristotle.