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Subject:Re: What "beg the question" means From:Richard Lippincott <rlippinc -at- BEV -dot- ETN -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 9 Feb 1995 18:35:45 EST
>"Beg the question" means "evade the question" or "sidestep the
>question" -- not "ask for the question to be answered."
I thought "beg the question" means to evade answering by essentially
asking the question in another form. It's been a long time since my
Logic 101, but as I recall in a logical argument, if you respond to
a question by simply rephrasing the questing and firing it back, you've
"begged the question" and the argument is invalid.
Example:
Q: Should red-heads be denied the opportunity to serve in the military?
A: Is there anything about red-heads that would make them unfit for service?
I think that's begging the question.
Rick Lippincott
Eaton Semiconductor
Beverly, Ma
rlippinc -at- bev -dot- etn -dot- com
