Begging the Question

John asks if logicians should give in in the face of rising acceptance of the use of “begging the question” for “raising the question.” I agree with the commenters: we should not. Also check out this delightful (and correct) use of “begs the question,” posted by Sean Carroll:

I once heard an astrophysics seminar with the title “Does the Milky Way galaxy have a bar?” introduced as “A talk whose subject is begged by the question, ‘Where should we go for a drink in the Milky Way?'” Wouldn’t want to give up the capability for lines like that.

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