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Reasoning & Fallacies

Begging the Question

noun

Assuming the very thing you're trying to prove — the conclusion is smuggled into the premises.

Also called: circular reasoning, petitio principii

Not To Be Confused With

In logic, “begging the question” means circular reasoning — NOT “raising the question.” (Popular usage often misuses it to mean “prompts the question.”)

A circular argument runs in a loop: it proves its conclusion by quietly assuming it. “The Bible is true because it's God's word, and we know it's God's word because the Bible says so” is circular unless other grounds are supplied. Spotting the loop is the whole task.

Related Terms

Begging the Question — Definition | Theologos Media