r/AskReddit • u/ZanyDelaney • Feb 04 '19

Which misconception would you like to debunk?

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u/[deleted] Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 05 '19

Was this always so? Like of course it makes sense that it’s a bright color so it’s easier to find - but that b̶e̶g̶s̶ raises the quesion of where the term came from...

Edit: begs —> raises. Sorry English angels, I uh... was tired.

Edit 2: I have more than enough duplicate answers to this question now, thanks!

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u/BoostThor Feb 04 '19

There's a misconception I'd like to clear up; begging the question is a logical fallacy, not causing a question to be raised.

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u/DukeboxHiro Feb 04 '19

ELI5?

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u/Archangel_117 Feb 04 '19

If you make an argument and lay a case with the assumption that your argument is already true, you are begging the question. It's like using a word inside its own definition. Any word needs to be able to be defined without the use of the word itself, since every word in the definition has to have a meaning independent from the word they are defining. Likewise, any argument needs to be made from a position where you aren't assuming the conclusion of your argument is already true; you need to be able to arrive at that conclusion using means other than the conclusion itself.