"begging the question," to me, is the English designation of the fallacy
normally labeled: petitio principii, which is committed when one assumes in
the premisses what one intends to show in the conclusion.  For example, I
doubt, I think, therefore: I am is an argument that begs the question since it
assumes the "I" to be proved already in the premisses.  Correctly, the
argument would run "Doubting is going on; thinking is going on; therefore . .
."  Yeah.

But, yes, I have also heard this phrase used in a way that strikes me as
silly, namely as "it is necessary for me to ask."

==Reinhold

Johanna Rubba wrote:

> I'd like to survey list members on what they think the expression "that
> begs the question" means. I've been observing it used in ways I'm not
> used and wondering what the general consensus is on how the meaning of
> the phrase.
>
> I've seen it used to mean either "what you are saying doesn't directly
> answer the question that has been posed, but is a complicated
> diversionary tactic", or "some situation demands that we ask the
> question X".
>
> Which one do y'all feel is most familiar (or does it mean both)?
>
> Thanks!
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Johanna Rubba   Assistant Professor, Linguistics
> English Department, California Polytechnic State University
> One Grand Avenue  • San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
> Tel. (805)-756-2184  •  Fax: (805)-756-6374 • Dept. Phone.  756-259
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>                                        **
> "Understanding is a lot like sex; it's got a practical purpose,
> but that's not why people do it normally"  -            Frank  Oppenheimer
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~