Oct 20, 2020 06:00:00

A designer's efforts to combat the misuse of the word 'begging the question'

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Begging the question' is a type of logic error that refers to the state that 'a proposition to be proved is included in an assumption or premise'. It's not a phrase that often appears in everyday conversation, but in some areas misuse is a problem, and one graphic designer is fighting misuse in a variety of ways.

Beg The Question // Get it right.
http://begthequestion.info/

To give a simple example of begging the question, for example, when you want to prove that 'Japanese cats are cute', the following sentences apply to begging the question.

1: Suppose there is no cute cat.
2: Cats live in Japan.
3: Therefore, Japanese cats are cute.

Since the assumption of 1 includes that 'cats are cute', it becomes an unconvincing proof that 'Japanese cats are cute because there are no cute cats'. Is the issue first. It has also been pointed out that people who are more likely to anticipate such issues are not able to think logically in discussions.

30 patterns of thinking that are destined to 'lose' in the discussion --GIGAZINE

Although the word begging the question itself is not a word that is often used in Japan, it is a problem that it is often misused in some English-speaking countries. Begging the question is 'Beg the question (BTQ)' in English, and it is often misused to mean 'ask a question' rather than the original meaning of 'begging the question'. It is said that this is the result of confusion between 'beg', which means 'to stagger', and 'beget', which means 'to cause'.

To correct this misuse, graphic designer Paul Ordoveza runs the BTQ misuse eradication website . Originally, it seems that the website was launched as part of April Fool's Day in 2005, and the following is the BTQ misuse eradication page at the time of April Fool's Day. Demonstrations about BTQ misuse and lies such as fines for BTQ misuse are summarized.

//begthequestion.info// END 'BEG THE QUESTION' ABUSE NOW!
http://begthequestion.info/old/

Even after April Fool's Day, Mr. Ordobeza has been operating the website for more than 10 years and has been appealing for the eradication of misuse , and BTQ has been from various directions such as distributing BTQ misuse eradication cards and producing BTQ misuse eradication T-shirts. We are working to ensure proper use.

'Sadly, misuse of BTQ is common in journalists, advertising, and the major mass media, and over time, misuse is becoming more common. Free-spirited linguists misunderstand BTQ. However, if the meaning of BTQ is diluted and we always have to distinguish between traditional and incorrect usage, logic and philosophy will lose an important conceptual label. That's why I'm fighting, 'says Ordobeza.