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Logic

If a sound argument is a valid deductive (or strong inductive) argument which has all true premises, and an argument which begs the question is an argument which although logically valid (or strong) assumes the truth of the conclusion within its premises, is it possible to have a sound argument which begs the question? If so can you provide some concrete examples.
Accepted:
December 6, 2008

Comments

Peter Smith
December 7, 2008 (changed December 7, 2008) Permalink

Take, as an extreme case, the argument "The earth is round; hence the earth is round". The inferential move is trivially deductively valid (there is no possible way the premiss can be true and the conclusion false); and the premiss is true. So the argument is sound. But of course, the argument would be quite useless in an exchange with a latter-day flat-earther! He could rightly complain that, given his views, that argument just begs the question at issue between you. So, in that context, the argument would be sound but question-begging.

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