Re: begging the question

Subject: Re: begging the question
From: Wayne Douglass <wayned -at- VERITY -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 15:33:49 -0700

At 05:42 PM 6/12/97 -0700, Pat Gantt wrote:
>Since I am the BTQ criminal give me at least five
>examples of its proper use.
>
Ah, those Brits. I looked up the phrase in Fowler's _Modern English Usage_
and was referred to "petitio principii" - not the obvious place to look.
Fowler says: "The fallacy of founding a conclusion on a basis that as much
needs to be proved as the conclusion itself." He goes on to cite arguing in
a circle as a common variety and adds, "other (not circular) examples are
that capital punishment is necessary because without it murders would
increase, and that democracy must be the best form of government because
the majority are always right." BTW, arguing in a circle is another topic
in Fowler.

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