figura?

[Lavrentivs]

I’m wondering whether the phrase

“he begs the very question raised by the Critique”

involves some kind of rhetorical figure of speech. What I react to is that, as far as I can see, the word ‘question’ is used in two senses: in begging the question, it means ‘point’ or ‘demonstrandum’ or ‘principle’, as in ‘petitio principii’, not a question you ask or raise. My question, then, is whether this is just sloppiness or rather some kind of figure. Alternatively, it is I who am excessively pedantic or plainly mistaken.

[Sceptra Tenens]

"To beg the question" has a very different meaning in debates than in common parlance. It refers to a logical fallacy when used correctly. See here: http://begthequestion.info/

[Lavrentivs]

From what part of my question did you infer that I didn’t know that? What I admittedly didn’t know was that the phrase existed in ‘common parlance’.

[Sceptra Tenens]

This:

I’m wondering whether the phrase . . . involves some kind of rhetorical figure of speech.

Begging the question, like many logical fallacies, is an effective rhetorical device when not caught.

Otherwise, I do not understand the question.

This "he" mentioned is reasoning from a baseless assumption which was questioned in the Critique. Either that, or the incorrect usage is intended, which would mean that he, through his actions (rather than words), raises a question which has already come up.

[cb]

hi, i think was laurentius was saying is that the word "question" is used in 2 ways, firstly in the sense "beg the question" and secondly in the sense "a question raised by a text" (i.e. like an issue). this reminds me of the figure syllepsis used in classical works - as for its analysis in english rhetorical terminology however i don't know. cheers, chad

[Lavrentivs]

Exactly. Syllepsis seems close (I wasn’t thinking of anything specifically English), but I haven’t seen any example where a noun is the ambiguous part; which yeilds the characteristic repugnance of assuming an identity which is strictly speaking false: the question raised was not the question begged. In “alter cum res gestas tum etiam studium atque auris adhibere posset,” the instances adhibendi, though expected to be more similar than they in fact are, are not assumed to be identical.