The television news commentator summarizes Casey Anthony's activity for several weeks, then, after a pause, says, "...which begs the question, Where was the body during this time?" In living rooms around the country those who know what "begging the question" means (assuming in your premise what you purport to demonstrate in your conclusion) cry, "No, no, not again."
But it's actually a tough call. Nothing in the fallacy Aristotle identified goes with anything we today associate with begging. It does, maybe, if you put yourself back in the kind of arguments Greek philosophers used. "You are pleading with us to concede you the answer to the question before us, rather than have you argue for it." In other words, "You're no man mixing it up in the arena; you're a beggar with your hand out at the door." It's a great move, but you have to be into that kind of game. If you're not, there goes "begging."
Should we lament? No. Even if we hang on to it, even if we can put ourselves right back in the Athenian debating circle, we're in trouble. The word doesn't fit what we're doing. What we're really begging for there is an answer, the answer we prefer. The "question" refers to what's at issue. You can't beg for that. It's already in front of the company.
On the other hand everything in the news commentator's usage fits. What's doing the begging? All that evidence just reviewed, Casey driving around enjoying herself so. It's crying for somebody to ask, "Where was the body?" If it was in the trunk, oh, oh. Please, please, ask the question.
And then, in the sentence itself, all the conditions are satisfied. After that comma you've got to state the question. That noun has to have an appositive. Ah, there it is, "Where was the body?" In the old formulation you didn't state the question. You just stopped. You'd already put down your opponent. If he showed he didn't know what the question was he went further down. Everybody knew what the question was.
I say let's forget Aristotle. Or let him be remembered only by those knowingly engaged with each other in his kind of debate. Academics. For the rest of us, let begging be begging we can see and the question be a question we can hear. Modern usage should win this one.
A reader needed some examples. Maybe others do.
ReplyDeleteHere's an example of the "correct" use,
... from the American patriots by their persistent loyalty to the king. This seems to be begging the question rather than answering it.While most of the loyalists evacuated from New York went to Canada, those leaving...
and one of the modern use,
... that almost begs the question why we should bother trying to reduce emissions now, and it is only in the final chapter that McKibben offers any glimpses of optimism. He blames the pursuit of "national projects...
Both are from the New York Review of Books. Here are three examples of the modern use, from
the New York Times:
“Since our bill is relatively benign,” Newsom said, “it begs the question, why did they work so hard and spend so much money to kill it?"
Such a positive response begs the question of why such a system would need to be changed at all. The government argues that magistrates have ...
This all begs the question of whether there is indeed any antitrust risk, and if so, whether Hertz or Avis has the bigger problem.
And here's an example of somebody begging the question in the logical sense without being caught —until the Wikipedia guy caught him (submitted by Mary Anne):
To allow every man an unbounded freedom of speech must always be, on the whole, advantageous to the State, for it is highly conducive to the interests of the community that each individual should enjoy a liberty perfectly unlimited of expressing his sentiments".[8]
From Wikipedia: A question is "begged" in the logical sense when the reason given for a statement is simply a restatement of it.