It seems to me that "begging the question" comes from logic/argument,
and means answer a question (ie, challenge) in a way that leaves the
question unanswered, often because the supposed answer presupposes a
certain answer to the given question.  To quote from my reason and
argument text (_Understanding Arguments_ by Robert Fogelin and Walter
Sinnott-Armstrong), "An argument is question begging if it relies,
either explicity or implicitly, on things that, in the argumentative
context, are matters of dispute" (p. 350).  Their example is:
(Premise 1)  It's always wrong to murder human beings.
(P2)  Capital punishment involves murdering human beings.
-----------------------------------------
(Conclusion)  Capital punishment is wrong.

The problem, of course, is that P2 presupposes the validity of the
conclusion.

Aaron D. Profitt
--
Aaron D. Profitt
The Gentle Misanthrope
"The superfluous, a very necessary thing."  - Voltaire
~veritas omnia vincit~
University of Kansas