BrianGarst.com

I’m going to discuss a personal pet peeve of mine: the prevalent misuse of the phrase “begging the question.”

So often, a writer or speaker will present a fact, then declare that this fact “begs the question,” which they proceed to ask. This is not the correct usage. The question is not begged, it is raised, or even suggested. Example: The fact that President Obama’s previous stimulus bills failed to lower unemployment raises the question of why he thinks this new proposal will be any different.

Begging the question, on the other hand, is the name for a specific kind of logical fallacy. It describes a fallacious argument that is essentially circular, where what is to be proven is actually just assumed to be true in the premise. It is an argument that is assumed to be true without evidence other than the argument itself. Example: If Republicans don’t pass my jobs bill, there will be no jobs recovery.

So please, I beg of you, do not beg that which you mean to raise.