How to use “it begs the question”

by Samantha Bronkar

“It begs the question” is a commonly misused phrase.  Here are the incorrect ways it is used, as well as the correct ways and times it can be used.

 

How NOT to use “it begs the question”

You may have heard this phrase used to ask a question, such as

“Because we fight so often, it begs the question, is there any way for us to find consensus?” 

Or, you may have heard it used to make a statement, such as

“Considering how much we disagree, it begs the question whether or not we can find consensus.”

In these sample sentences, “it begs the question” equates to “it raises the question.”  Rather than using “it begs the question,” one could say, “Because we fight so often, it raises the question, is there any way for us to find consensus?”  Or, “Considering how much we disagree, it raises the question whether or not we can find consensus.”

Here’s the issue: “It begs the question” cannot be used interchangeably with “it raises the question.”

 

What does ‘it begs the question’ mean?

“It begs the question” is used to point out the false claims or circular reasoning of an argument. 

But let’s pause: “False claims” is probably pretty clear, but what is “circular reasoning”?

When writing papers, or just having conversations, you must know when and how an argument is valid.  Circular reasoning is a common logical fallacy and occurs when the conclusion of an argument is used as the premise of the argument.  In other words, the argument assumes that the conclusion—the thing one is trying to prove—has already been proven.  Here is an example:

The voting age should be changed to 12 because young people should be able to vote. 

This argument says that the law should be changed so young people can vote because young people should be able to vote.  It does not actually prove anything about young people’s capacity to vote intelligently.  Perhaps 12-year-olds should be able to vote, but the argument offers no evidence to prove that their claim—that young people should be able to vote—is valid. 

Here is another example of circular reasoning:

The cat is orange because orange is the color of its fur.

This sentence uses the color of the cat’s fur to finalize the color of the cat’s fur; the conclusion is used as the evidence.  

When considering your own arguments in a paper, watch out for circular reasoning!

Let’s connect this back to the original issue:

 

When is “it begs the question” used properly?

“It begs the question” is a response to a logically circular argument.  You can use “it begs the question” within a larger sentence, as in the one below:

To say that someone is a good leader because she has good leadership skills begs the question.

You don’t actually need to explain how or why it begs the question.  When you say, “It [that] begs the question,” you imply that the argument you are responding to is illogical. 

You can also use it as a stand-alone sentence, or as a response.  Here is a sample conversation that uses “it begs the question” properly:

Person 1: I can say whatever I want, so you should let me say what I want. 

Person 2: So you should be able to say whatever you want because I should let you?

Person 1: Exactly!

Person 2: That begs the question. 

Despite all the confusion around this phrase, “it begs the question” is actually simple and can be used tastefully.  And, if you catch someone using it incorrectly, be kind!

 

Samantha Bronkar is a senior on the softball team and will be participating in the England Abroad in fall 2017.