Guest Blogger: Begs What?

******Warning: NOT JOSH******

I am not Josh. But reading his blog inspired me to complain publicly about the things that bother me. So I now write about when people say “begs the question.” But first I will head off any and all of your questions:

1. Q: Who are you? A: Who am I? Who are you?
2. Q: Are you qualified to post on Josh’s blog? A: 1. I’m a doctor. 2. I already have a quote on here (see right hand side of page for hilarity). 3. I am related to Josh (And no: “I once stayed up with Josh all night drinking Dr. Pepper and watching Lord of the Rings and/or Jason Bourne and then went on a Betos run in the morning” does not count as related to Josh. It counts as “I should have worked harder in college.”).
3. Q: I don’t like you. A: That’s not even a question; try and stay on topic.
4. Q: Why would the phrase “begs the question” bother you? That’s weird. A: I’ll tell you why.

When was the last time you heard someone say “begs the question?” (Ha, who’s asking the questions now?). It was probably by some reporter on TV who said “President Bush is disliked by such a large majority of the population, it begs the question . . . how was he reelected?” Or, “The man had a firearm at the airport terminal, which begs the question . . . how did he get it through security?” Or, the 2-year-old child was found wandering the street at 2AM (near Betos restaurant, and I use the term restaurant loosely), which begs the question . . . where were her parents?” Well, whoever said these phrases, or phrases like unto them, are idiots! Hearing stuff like this completely Battlefield Earths me. What these people mean to say is “prompts the question” or “elicits the question.” It doesn’t beg the question! How does a question beg? Am I begging for the question to be raised?

Begging the question is a logical fallacy that presupposes a premise of an argument to be true, without proof other than the argument itself; and/or when the proposition of an argument is assumed in the premises. Here is an example that I often come across:

1. Mormons believe X
2. I don’t believe X
3. Anything I don’t believe is False

∴ Therefore, Mormonism is False

This arguer is begging the question because he is assuming #3 to be true without proof, and because he is assuming the proposition (Mormonism is False, see #2-3) in the premises. (Please note: the preceding argument is valid, meaning that the proposition follows from the premises (nearly all arguments based on circular reasoning are valid), but it is NOT sound—a sound argument must be valid and have all true premises). Are you paying attention? This is important.

I once heard a TV commentator use the phrase “prompts the question.” It was amazing. For me, it was probably tantamount to the feelings most people had when the 1980 hockey team beat the Russians. Some people think that the phrase is misused so often that it should just become part of the common vernacular in its incorrect form. This is absurd. If enough people do something wrong, should it become OK? That’s pinko talk.

So I ask all of you to join with me in my fight against the incorrect usage of “begging the question,” which should only be used in critiquing an argument. It’s a good fight, because you only have to fight very infrequently, and you get to feel smart.