Select Page

Begging the question

Begging the question

Every week, Oliver Diaz-Neda will post a logical fallacy and an example on my wall to help you all become better debaters, persuaders and rational thinkers. What is a logical fallacy? It is defined as – a flaw in the structure of an argument which renders the argument invalid.

Today’s fallacy

Begging the question
An individual begs the questions when the premise of their claim is imbedded in the statement where the claim is made. The “evidence” for their assertion is in the assertion itself. This is also known as circular reasoning.

This style of fallacious argument is quite popular with those who have deeply held beliefs that are not predicated on factual knowledge or logical reasoning.

Example:
Maria

Marriage is between one man and one women, that is the way it is supposed to be. That’s what God intended.

Danny

Marriage is a legal status with very specific legal ramifications and protections. Why should gay people be denied that if the law says we are all equals?

Maria

Because the bible says that marriage is between one man and one women and the bible is never wrong – its the word of God.

Maria clearly bases her argument on the morality of extending legal marriage protections solely on her faith, which has no bearing on the law. Her inability to justify her political claims on anything other than her interpretation of “God’s will” leads her to merit her argument on the premise of her claim – because the Bible says it, so it must be. Maria clearly lacks strong reasoning skills. Don’t be like Maria.

About The Author

Oliver Diaz Neda

Oliver Diaz-Neda is a graduate of Florida International University with a degree in Public Relations. He was born and raised in Miami, FL. Oliver is a lifelong political junkie and the son of immigrant parents from Cuba and Honduras. His professional background is in the field of marketing and business development, specifically in the software services industry. He is a former Political Analysis Contributor at Pasquines.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Ads

Share This