What kind of fallacy is begging the question

Contents Hide. Slippery Slope Fallacy: Definition and Examples. We use cookies to ensure an optimal user experience. Begging the question is also called arguing in a circle. Erica: "How do you know that the bible is divinely inspired? Celibacy is an unnatural and unhealthy practice, since it is neither natural nor healthy to exclude sexual activity from one's life.

This whole abortion debate about when human life begins is ridiculous. We should be thinking about the rights of the baby. Because these assumptions are critical to the discussion at hand, the arguer is begging the question. It's not uncommon to find political arguments that commit the "Begging the Question" fallacy. This may be because so many people are unfamiliar with basic logical fallacies, but an even more common reason may be that a person's commitment to the truth of their political ideology may prevent them from seeing that they are assuming the truth of what they are attempting to prove.

Here are some examples of this fallacy in political discussions:. The argument in 11 presumes the truth of a premise that isn't stated: that abortion is murder. As this premise is far from obvious, is closely related to the point in question is abortion immoral? Another abortion argument occurs in 12 and has a similar problem, but the example is provided here because the problem is a bit more subtle.

The question being begged is whether or not another "human being" is being destroyed - but that is exactly the point being disputed in abortion debates. By assuming it, the argument being made is that it is not a private matter between a woman and her doctor, but a public matter appropriate for the execution of laws.

Example 13 has a similar problem, but with a different issue. Here, the arguer is assuming that capital punishment serves as any deterrent in the first place. This may be true, but it is at least as questionable as the idea that it is even moral. Because the assumption is unstated and debatable, this argument also begs the question.

Example 14 might normally be considered an example of a Genetic Fallacy - an ad hominem fallacy which involves the rejection of an idea or argument because of the nature of the person presenting it. And indeed, this is an example of that fallacy, but it is also more. It is essentially circular to assume the falsehood of the Republican political philosophy and thereby conclude that some essential element of that philosophy like lowering taxes is wrong.

Maybe it is wrong, but what is being offered here is not an independent reason why taxes should not be lowered. The argument presented in example 15 is a little bit more like the way the fallacy appears typically in reality because most people are smart enough to avoid stating their premises and conclusions in the same manner. In this case, "unrestricted commercial relations" is simply a long way of stating "free trade" and the rest of what follows that phrase is an even longer way of saying "good for this country.

This particular fallacy makes it clear why it is important to know how to take apart an argument and examine its constituent parts. By moving beyond the wordiness, it is possible to look at each piece individually and see that we have the same ideas being presented more than once. The U. Here is a quote adapted from the forum made about the incarceration of Abdullah al-Muhajir, accused of plotting to construct and detonate a 'dirty bomb':.

Essentially, one makes a claim based on evidence that requires one to already accept that the claim is true. The rights of the criminal are just as important as the rights of the victim.

Everyone's rights are equal. Fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet. After all, a healthy eating plan includes fruits and vegetables.