http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2012/05/same-sex-marriage
Title of Article:
Begging the question on marriage equality
Source: The Economist
One paragraph BRIEF summary of the article:
Maggie Gallagher, an opponent of same sex marriage provides an example of petito
principia fallacy, commonly known as begging the question. In her argumentation
against same sex marriage, she applies circular reasoning that has no real true
premises to it.
Identifying the Knowledge Issue(s):
Key quotes from the article:
“This is all that one of the country's most
What arguments exist against same sex
marriage?
How could we device a standing line of
argumentation against same sex marriage?
prominent opponents of gay marriage has to
offer when given a softball question about
the harm of gay marriage: no actual harm at
all, except to the entry under "marriage" in
Maggie Gallagher's personal lexicon. That's a
social ill I can live with.”
Why do people oppose same sex marriage?
To what extent does discrimination exist both
ways, as those who oppose same sex marriage
are stigmatized?
“A more perfect bit of question-begging is
hard to devise. To (1), those people are
being stigmatised mainly for being wrong,
not for being evil, and that's because they
can't give any better argument against gay
marriage than (2): that gay marriage is not
marriage, which they define (without
defending) as between a man and a woman”
Identification and Treatment of Areas of
Identification and Treatment of Ways of
Knowledge (AoKs): (Human/Natural Sciences,
Knowing (WoKs): (Language, Reason,
Ethics, History, Math, Arts, Religion)
Emotion, Perception)
History – How have personal freedoms
Language – What language can be used to
(including the rights to choose your own
effectively transmit the ideals of both
religion, sexual orientation, etc) progressed
opposing viewpoints?
throughout time?
Emotion – To what extent can individuals
Religion – To what extent are people’s views
control what they feel towards a particular
about homosexuality predetermined by
cause? If it is not justified to tell someone he
religious texts?
can’t love a particular person, why would it be
Do certain religions embrace homosexuality?
justifies to tell someone he can’t hate a
particular person?
How does the church respond to hints of noncondoned homosexual behavior within its
Reason – To what extent is love capable of
texts?
being reasoned?
Ethics – Should a government not allow an
individual to do as he wishes with his life?
Is it justified for a government to tell a person
who he should or shouldn’t love?
Human Sciences – To what extent is
homosexuality a deviation from the social
norm/ an abnormal behavior
Knower’s Perspective:
‘Begging the question’ is a common fallacy which implies to “adopt an
argument whose conclusion depends upon assuming the truth of the very
conclusion the argument is designed to produce” (The Economist). In this
sense, the anti same sex marriage leader begs the question in her
argumentation, as she bases her logic on the importance of inter sex
marriage, which is what she should be trying to prove in the first place.
Instead of discussing whether these importances actually exist, she assumes
it and builds her case upon it.
This issue is very important, as discrimination is present all around us and
prejudice often goes both ways. Nowadays, when accepting same sex
marriage is becoming the social norm (the DMV-IV diagnostics manual no
longer considers it to be abnormal behaviour), to what extent are opposers
of same sex marriage stigmatized and discriminated for their ideals?
In terms of how this issue appeals to me directly, I find it that it is important
to be aware of both viewpoints to every issue in order to avoid prejudice and
intolerance towards both sides of the spectrum.