Begging the question

Begging the question is a logical fallacy and a common rhetorical device. The phrase is frequently misused.

To beg the question is to incorporate your preferred answer within the question, or to ask a question or make a statement whose premises are stated in terms which do not allow some answers which are in fact valid. So: "To save lives, we should mandate bicycle helmet use" - this begs the question by assuming that helmet laws save lives (there is no credible evidence that this is the case).

The term is often incorrectly used. It does not mean that a particular statement invites or demands a follow-up question.