“Begs the question” doesn’t always mean what you think it does. It’s often used as a synonym for “raises the question,” but by formal standards, that’s not quite right. Consider this example: “Another major department store is closing its doors. This begs the question: Are shopping malls going extinct?” As you can see, the phrase often introduces a follow-up question, or, as Merriam-Webster puts it, it “elicits a question logically as a reaction or response.” However, this modern usage isn’t historically accurate.
The phrase dates back to Aristotle’s principles of formal logic. It comes from the Latin petitio principii, meaning “assuming the original point.” “Begging the question” is the fallacy of assuming the conclusion is within your premises. In simpler terms, it’s when your argument already assumes the very thing it’s trying to prove. This results in a logically flawed circular argument.
In the context of this philosophical argument, petitio principii was translated into English as “begging the question” during the 16th century, originally meaning “to pass over or ignore a question by assuming it to be established or settled.” It uses an archaic definition of “beg,” meaning “to take for granted the matter in dispute” or “to assume without proof.”
A more precise modern translation of petitio principii might be “assuming the original conclusion.” For example, “Wool sweaters are better than cotton sweaters because they contain more wool” begs the question, since it assumes what is already established (wool is better than cotton). A correct philosophical usage of “begs the question” would be: “The car commercial begs the question when it says the brand is superior because it sold more cars last year.”
You can now see why those who favor the philosophical version dislike the modern usage — the two are very different. However, in informal situations, using “begs the question” to mean something like “raises the question” is widely understood, and dictionaries recognize it as valid. Nevertheless, this usage should be avoided in formal writing.
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