Begging the question

Forgive me this trespass into linguistic geekery. I cannot contain myself.

I am all for breaking the rules of grammar and punctuation when it is useful. I split infinitives when doing so creates the emphasis I intend. I begin sentences with conjunctions sometimes, and I don’t mangle my sentences so as not to end on a preposition. I even type my IMs in all lower case because it’s faster (unless I’m talking to one of my old English teachers and I become self-conscious). Rules are nice guidelines, but we shouldn’t be sticklers. I favor precise and clear language over language that conforms to useless rules.

However, it’s because I favor clear language that I believe we should agree on meanings for words and use them accordingly. There is one error in this department that I see over and over again and which drives me crazy. Smart, well-educated, highly literate people make this error. That’s why I have to say something (even if none of those people will ever read this).

Don’t say “begging the question” when you mean “makes one wonder.” To beg the question is to answer a question in a circular way, referring back to the question itself, or assuming the conclusion as a premise. It’s a logical fallacy. Here’s a simple example: “What’s an insane asylum?” “It’s an asylum for the insane.” You see how that doesn’t really help at all? A more realistic example would be something like: “Why do you believe God exists?” “The Bible says so, and it’s infallible.” “But why do you think the Bible is infallible?” “Because the Bible is the word of God!” Speaker 2 here has just answered the question, “Why do you believe God exists?” basically by saying, “God exists.”

I’m not going to name names here, but I’ve seen/heard a lot of people saying things like, “Such and such policy is bad, and it really begs the question of why we elected so and so to take care of it in the first place,” or, “Here’s a really bizarre story, and it begs the question: when did society get to this point?” That is not what it means to beg the question. Stop it. Just say “makes one wonder” or “makes me wonder.” You can even say it “raises the question”—but it doesn’t “beg” it.

Thank you. Carry on.

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August 26, 2009 · Written by
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