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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

petitio principii en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /pəˈtɪʃiˌoʊ prɪnˈsɪpiˌaɪ/ (General-American)
  • pə-tĭshʹē-ō' prĭn-sĭpʹē-ī' (General-American)
  • /pɪˈtɪʃiˌəʊ prɪnˈkɪpiˌaɪ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Latin petītiō prīncipiī (literally “an assumption from the beginning”), calque of Ancient Greek τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ αἰτεῖσθαι (tò en arkhēî aiteîsthai, “to assume from the beginning”).

Meanings

  1. (uncountable) The logical fallacy of begging the question (i.e., "assuming the conclusion").
  2. (countable) A particular argument which commits the fallacy of begging the question; a circular argument.
    • The Streitberg-Michels Theory is evidently a petitio principii. To explain ē in gēbum, it is from the outset taken for granted, for inadequate reasons of method, that the form must be a perfect. [italics original] 1938, E. Prokosch, A Comparative Germanic Grammar:
    • A somewhat similar objection has been made by Locke and others, to the effect that the ordinary demonstrative syllogism is a petitio principii. 1869, C. S. Pierce, “Grounds of Validity of the laws of Logic: Further Consequences of Four Incapacities.”, in Journal of Speculative Philosophy: