Question

Use this forum to suggest Good Words for Professor Beard.
Philip Hudson
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Question

Postby Philip Hudson » Sun Sep 02, 2018 10:53 pm

I don't remember if Good word discusses phrases.
There is a phrase "it begs the question". I know what it means. Apparently hardly anyone else does. In common discussion this phrase is used as if it means "this leaves this question to be discussed." In reality it means something like "What does that have to do with anything?"
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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call_copse
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Re: Question

Postby call_copse » Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:32 am

I think there are two uses of begging the question:
a) To "beg the question" is to put forward an argument whose validity requires that its own conclusion is true.
b) An informal usage that seems to mean 'this brings up the question'.

An example of a) would be:
The order and magnificence of the world is evidence of God's Creation.
Therefore, we know that God exists.

Essentially if I say you have begged the question I am saying you have employed circular reasoning to reach your conclusion.

The informal usage seems to mean almost anything these days!
Iain

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call_copse
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Re: Question

Postby call_copse » Thu Sep 13, 2018 11:55 am

Iain


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