Begging the question, or circular reasoning, is an argument whose premises already assume the conclusion it claims to prove. 'This news source is trustworthy because it says it only reports the truth.' 'Smoking is unhealthy because it's bad for you.' 'We know he's honest because he told us he never lies.' The argument goes in a circle: to accept the premise you must already accept the conclusion, so it gives no new reason to anyone who doubted it in the first place. Circular reasoning is often hard to see because the conclusion is restated in different words, or hidden in a loaded term: calling a policy 'unjust taxation' in a premise, then concluding it is unjust. The test is to ask whether a sceptic who rejects the conclusion would accept the premises. If the premises are only believable to someone who already agrees, the question has been begged. Note the everyday phrase 'this begs the question' usually means 'this raises the question'; in critical thinking it names this fallacy. After this Concept you can find the premise that quietly restates a conclusion and explain why the argument gives no support to someone who doubts it.
Begging the question is a logical fallacy where an argument assumes its own conclusion in its premise, also called circular reasoning. It helps you spot arguments that sound convincing but offer no r…