Sophistic & Logic :
- This stratagem relies on the "begging the question" or petitio principii fallacy.
Original text :
Another plan is to beg the question in disguise by postulating what has to be proved, either under another name; for instance, "good repute" instead of "honour"; "virtue" instead of "virginity," etc.; or by using such convertible terms as "red-blooded animals" and "vertebrates"; or by making a general assumption covering the particular point in dispute: for instance, maintaining the uncertainty of medicine by postulating the uncertainty of all human knowledge. If, vice versâ two things follow one from the other, and one is to be proved, you may postulate the other. If a general proposition is to be proved, you may get your opponent to admit every one of the particulars. This is the converse of the second.
