From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sun Jan 19 2003 - 20:20:06 GMT
DMB had said:
To beg a question is simply to avoid it. To beg an issue is a failure to
address it. Its not any more complicated than that.
Matt replied:
Actually, I think its more specific than simply avoiding the question. It
means you are trying to answer a question in a way that's circular in
reasoning because a conclusion you reach is a specific and logical
consequence of a premise that another party doesn't accept. At least,
that's the way I will always be using the phrase because there are all
sorts of other ways to avoid an issue and question. For instance, never
responding to it. That's not necessarily begging the question.
DMB says:
I was willing to just let it go, but since you brought it up again I'd like
to explain. Its not about whether or not you accept the premise of another.
I mean, if you challenge a premise and I discuss with you all the reasons
why we ought to accept it, then I have not begged the question, in spite of
the fact that you might still don't accept. That's merely disagreement and
using the word "beg" in this way defies the english language. I find this to
be totally unacceptable, not to mention terribly confusing. Here, for
example, the issue is the meaning of the word "beg". By shifting the issue
to "the way I will be using the phrase", you have begged the question. The
question is what it means for everybody and anybody, not just you. And think
of the confusion that would result if we each had our own private
definitions. This comes fvery close to the MOQ's definition of insanity, a
culture of one. If we can't rely on the english language as a common medium
of exchange here, then all is lost in a soup of incomprehensable solipsism.
Thanks,
DMB
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