Daily Almanac for
Nov 19, 2008
Search White Pages
Info search tips
Bio search tips
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—P

Petitio Principii

(A). A begging of the question, or assuming in the premises the question you undertake to prove. Thus, if a person undertook to prove the infallibility of the pope, and were to take for his premises - (1) Jesus Christ promised to keep the apostles and their successors in all the truth; (2) the popes are the regular successors of the apostles, and therefore the popes are infallible - it would be a vicious syllogism from a petitio principii.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
Petitioners and Abhorrers
Petit Serjeantry
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

More on Petitio Principii from Infoplease:

  • petitio principii: meaning and definitions - petitio principii: Definition and Pronunciation
  • Petitio Principii - Petitio Principii (A). A begging of the question, or assuming in the premises the question you ...
  • Dictionary Index - Dictionary Index pes Pesach pesade Pesaro Pescadores Pescara peseta pesewa Peshawar Peshitta pesky ...
  • Begging - Begging Hermits were of the Augustine order; they renounced all property, and lived on the ...
  • Cogito ergo sum - Cogito ergo sum Descartes' axiom. This is a petitio principii. “I think” can only ...

See a map of "" in the Visual Thesaurus

    • Cite
    • Print
    • Bookmark

Related Content