So as long as a statement is made that implies fact without proof, you can beg a question? For example, Jake Delhomme was signed over the first batch of QB's the Texans brought in. This begs the question, is Delhomme better than the Garcia or Clement? Is this the correct use of "begging the question?"
i think that's incorrect as well. i'm going to stick with the strategy of using it incorrectly the rest of my life and play the odds on not encountering the one in the 1/1000 who understand the proper usage. :grin:
No--it's not just any statement being implied without proof, it's the argument itself one is seeking to prove, being implied as true. Examples: "Of course it's illegal; otherwise it wouldn't be prohibited by the law!" "You can trust the character references on my résumé; I can vouch for them myself." :grin: /sorryforthethreadhijack!
So it's more like: "Jake Delhomme is better than Garcia because the Texans passed on Garcia twice." This begs the question, are the Texans good at evaluating free agent QBs?
#pleasedon'tkillmeforthemajorthreadhijack Well, a separate question is never begged. You'll never see, properly used, "this begs the question, blah-blah-blah." It's more like: "The Texans made the right choice in Delhomme." "How can we be sure? What if Garcia were the better choice?" "Garcia is not the better choice because the Texans passed on him twice, including for Delhomme." "Come on now, you're begging the question."
