On Tue, 01 Feb 2005 07:31:32 -0800, Steve Brust <skzb at dreamcafe.com> wrote: > Okay, someone check me if I'm wrong--I also like it when someone > corrects my English errors (one of many reasons I so adore Pamela), but > I've always used that phrase in this sense: > > "Bush was elected primarily by the backing of such industries as oil and > major finance, which begs the question of who is served by the war in > Iraq." In other words, "begs the question" means something like, > "raises the question and simultaneously answers it." Is this correct, > or am I asking the poor phrase to do too much work? I wouldn't think so: http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/begs.html An argument that improperly assumes as true the very point the speaker is trying to argue for is said in formal logic to “beg the question.” Here is an example of a question-begging argument: “This painting is trash because it is obviously worthless.” The speaker is simply asserting the worthlessness of the work, not presenting any evidence to demonstrate that this is in fact the case. Since we never use “begs” with this odd meaning (“to improperly take for granted”) in any other phrase, many people mistakenly suppose the phrase implies something quite different: that the argument demands that a question about it be asked—raises the question. If you’re not comfortable with formal terms of logic, it’s best to stay away from this phrase, or risk embarrassing yourself. -- Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/