Letter: I beg to differ
The headline on page 4 of the Sunday Review (18 May) reads: "All of which begs the question: who is Paul Theroux".
To beg the question is to assume what you are setting out to prove. For example, I, a prosecuting lawyer, say to the CID officer: "There's not enough evidence to charge this man with burglary so we'll charge him with handling stolen goods." The officer replies: "But this man isn't a handler he's a prolific burglar." The officer is begging the question; he's assuming what we want to prove, namely that a particular crime has been committed.
The expression will disappear from the language if persistently used to mean "to raise the question". I think that would be a pity.
Leo Pilkington
London SW8
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies