Religion and Ethics Forum
Religion and Ethics Discussion => Philosophy, in all its guises. => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on October 30, 2024, 10:38:56 AM
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Fiends, Roman Catholics, cunts and men, lend me your voice readers (with Marlon Brando's voice selected). I came to bury begging the question, not to praise it. There is one thing less in heaven and earth, than was dreamt of in philosophy, Petitio.
At 3.11 on the morning of Wednesday 30th October 2024, I accepted that the time had come to switch off the life support for our much abused friend, begging the question. Jeremyp had warned me it was time recently, and after all jeremyp is an honourable man. I think it was this post by Alan Burns on assisted dying which assisted me in knowing that it was time to assist the dying:
https://www.religionethics.co.uk/index.php?topic=22166.msg896525#msg896525
There will be a short memorial service but skip the hearts and flowers, skip the ivory towers.
If anyone doubts the death of begging the question, it is true because you are reading its obituary...
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The fallacy to which it refers is not dead, but the term has been abused so much that it no longer means assuming the conclusion.
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The fallacy to which it refers is not dead, but the term has been abused so much that it no longer means assuming the conclusion.
Which is what my last line covered.
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I nearly commented on AB's misuse of the phrase myself. We'll have to call it a circular argument, or, as jp hints assuming the conclusion.
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I maintain a disinterested position on the matter, though I view it with some interest.
(Thought I'd throw that one in, since so many people use that d word as a synonym for uninterested.)
Language changes of course, but when change results in confusion and imprecision, I think that at least this little enclave of cognoscenti should offer some resistance. Getting rid of that silly word 'beg' from the phrase might be a start, and then we could use a few different words to express what we actually mean, since the original phrase has accrued so many different meanings which are apparently acceptable*.
*Which NS has so deftly encapsulated in his witty last sentence, endorsed by the other cognoscenti in their various learned ways.
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It will not be missed: it is no more!
NS' sublime last sentence has secured it's demise.