Begs The Question

This is a commonly used expression.  But what does it mean exactly? To say that an argument or point of view “begs the question” means that the argument is assumed to be true without any evidence present to make the case.

Example:  “That car is worth nothing because it’s worthless.”

This sentence is not only redundant, there is no evidence for the argument.  The sentence in the example simply doesn’t have any substance for the reader to believe the point of view.

Example CORRECTED:  “That car is worth nothing because it has worn out brakes and it is older than me.”

Although the corrected example is still vague, there is at least supporting evidence of why the statement is correct.  Often times people think to ‘beg the question’ mean that the statement raises a question; that is not the case.

Provide evidence for any statements that you make; don’t leave your reader or listener “begging” for proof.

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