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Misused ExpressionsThe incorrect use (misuse) of an expression is in some cases obvious to all fluent speakers of a language, but in other cases a matter of opinion. With repeated misuse, the error can sometimes become the norm, or at least an acceptable alternative. The following quotation illustrates a misuse of this phrase: - "Guevara's book contrasts strongly with the results of his life's efforts. So that begs the question, how true are the prescriptions he advocates in his writings?"
Strictly speaking, "begging the question", also known among logicians by its Latin name of petitio principii (literally "assuming the premise"), is a logical fallacy that consists of taking the premise of an argument, that is, the "question" at hand, as evidence for itself. This is not what is meant in our example, where 'begs the question' is simply being used, incorrectly, to mean 'raises the question'. See also: List of frequently misused English words
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