Begging the Question

The fallacy of begging the question occurs when an argument's premises assume the truth of the conclusion, instead of supporting it. In other words, you assume without proof the stand/position, or a significant part of the stand, that is in question. Begging the question is also called arguing in a circle.

Examples:

1. Erica: "How do you know that the bible is divinely inspired?" Pedro: "Because is says right in the third chapter of II Timothy that 'all scripture is given by divine inspiration of God.'"

2. Celibacy is an unnatural and unhealthy practice, since it is neither natural nor healthy to exclude sexual activity from one's life.

3. Thoughts are not part of the physical world, since thoughts are in their nature non-physical.

4. Happiness is the highest good for a human being, since all other values are inferior to it.

5. Of course smoking causes cancer. The smoke from cigarettes is a carcinogen.

6. Prosecutor to defendant: So how did you feel when you killed your wife?

7. This whole abortion debate about when human life begins is ridiculous. We should be thinking about the rights of the baby.

8. John: "Why didn't you include Lorena's poetry in the student publication?"  Anne: "Because it was judged as not sufficiently worthy of publication."

9. People who deny the truth of Marxism are simply dancing to the tune of their capitalist masters, as Marx understood so well.

10. The rights of the minority are every bit as sacred as the rights of the majority, for the majority's rights have no greater value than those of the minority.