I’ve seen lots of people lately using the term “begs the question” as though it means “raises the question,” which is incorrect. Here’s what Wickipedia has to say:
In logic, begging the question has traditionally described a type of logical fallacy in which the proposition to be proved is assumed implicitly or explicitly in one of the premises. Begging the question is related to the fallacy known as circular argument or circular reasoning.
In contemporary usage, "begging the question" often refers to an argument where the premises are as questionable as the conclusion.
In popular usage, "begging the question" is often used to mean that a statement invites another obvious question. This usage is stated to be incorrect in The Oxford Guide to English Usage, 1st edition; "raises the question" is suggested as a more appropriate alternative.
A helpful usage guideline would be to not actually follow the term with a question, but to simply state that the logic one opposes "begs the question", and then separately identify the questionable premises or circular reasoning afterwards in statement, not question, form.
Example: “The book's inaccuracy comes from the fact that the author doesn't present the historical facts correctly.” The statement is more or less the same as, “The book is wrong because the book is wrong.” In critiquing the former statement, one could write, "That begs the question. In fact, I found no errors at all in the book, although I don't agree with all of the author's conclusions."
To be honest, so few people understand the meaning of 'begs the question' that I generally don't use the phrase at all.
