This really begs the question: do you as a professor differentiate between types of extensions?
I remember, as an undergrad, writing a paper on Foucault and the Russian Revolution. With 12 hours to go, I suddenly had an epiphany about the relationship and began my paper all over again, writing furiously. I got a 12 hour extension by explaining my new argument (and comparing it to my older, weaker argument) and nabbed an A.
@Monkey: actually, it raises the question (sorry, but I hate the misuse of "begs the question," which appears even on NPR these days. I strongly suspect it can be traced to the fact that many composition textbooks of the last few decades taught logical fallacies, including begging the question, and students remembered the phrase but not the correct meaning -- just one more example of the law of unintended consequences).
@Isis: it's not snowflakery if you had reasonable precautions in place, and the computer virus is a very new one that somehow got past those precautions. If not, maybe you'd better look into this year's anti-snowflake inoculation (and/or an antivirus program).
@Monkey: wikipedia has a pretty good discussion of the issue, at least at the moment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question ). As the article points out, this may be a case where usage is shifting enough that using "beg the question" to mean "raise/pose/force the question" may eventually become so common as to be considered correct (after all, usage does change over time). But at the moment, that usage will still strike some ears (including mine) as incorrect. The recommendation by a linguist at the end of the article -- avoiding the phrase altogether -- may be the best workaround, since it avoids annoying any potential hearer/reader.
@Cassandra - Thank you, that's always been one of my pet peeves as well. I try to keep it in perspective by remembering the evolution of language, lest I turn into a curmudgeon before my time. Reading Lexicographer's Dilemma helped (and as an aside, the section on swearing was a hoot!)
antivirus in place, and it's a nasty enough worm that even the specific malware removal programs are disabled by it. It's a wipe the system and reformat the drive kind of virus.
no word yet on this season's anti-snowflake vaccination campaign though.
Also, I had no idea about the whole begging the question thing! I like it here, I learn stuff!
Keep a backup copy of your work elsewhere, such as on a flash drive. Computers are not immortal. Neither are flash drives, but at least with some overlap, your work won't be destroyed along with your computer, and you can continue it at a computer lab, friend's house, library, etc.
How frustrating! Your reply to my genuine response merely continued to berate me for my misuse rather than explain the correct use of the phrase. This in turn suggests that you yourself are unsure how to use it, but nevertheless feel comfortable to call people out for misusing it.
Many folks do the same with the phrase "per se."
I do hope you will come back and try again or else refrain from calling people out for something you cannot explain. If I am indeed misusing this, I would like to know.
(as for the link you provided: tl;dr. If you are going to call me out for something but not be able to explain why the usage was wrong, then stop bringing it up until you can explain it yourself.)
secondary premise satisfied. I wasn't that far off. Cassandra, one might expect you to be able to explain that when you so readily attack people for misuse.
This really begs the question: do you as a professor differentiate between types of extensions?
ReplyDeleteI remember, as an undergrad, writing a paper on Foucault and the Russian Revolution. With 12 hours to go, I suddenly had an epiphany about the relationship and began my paper all over again, writing furiously. I got a 12 hour extension by explaining my new argument (and comparing it to my older, weaker argument) and nabbed an A.
@Monkey: actually, it raises the question (sorry, but I hate the misuse of "begs the question," which appears even on NPR these days. I strongly suspect it can be traced to the fact that many composition textbooks of the last few decades taught logical fallacies, including begging the question, and students remembered the phrase but not the correct meaning -- just one more example of the law of unintended consequences).
ReplyDelete@Isis: it's not snowflakery if you had reasonable precautions in place, and the computer virus is a very new one that somehow got past those precautions. If not, maybe you'd better look into this year's anti-snowflake inoculation (and/or an antivirus program).
Cassandra, why wouldn't it beg or force a question? How would you use begging a question properly? (for my future corrected use, of course!)
ReplyDelete@Monkey: wikipedia has a pretty good discussion of the issue, at least at the moment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question ). As the article points out, this may be a case where usage is shifting enough that using "beg the question" to mean "raise/pose/force the question" may eventually become so common as to be considered correct (after all, usage does change over time). But at the moment, that usage will still strike some ears (including mine) as incorrect. The recommendation by a linguist at the end of the article -- avoiding the phrase altogether -- may be the best workaround, since it avoids annoying any potential hearer/reader.
ReplyDelete@Cassandra - Thank you, that's always been one of my pet peeves as well. I try to keep it in perspective by remembering the evolution of language, lest I turn into a curmudgeon before my time. Reading Lexicographer's Dilemma helped (and as an aside, the section on swearing was a hoot!)
ReplyDeleteantivirus in place, and it's a nasty enough worm that even the specific malware removal programs are disabled by it. It's a wipe the system and reformat the drive kind of virus.
ReplyDeleteno word yet on this season's anti-snowflake vaccination campaign though.
Also, I had no idea about the whole begging the question thing! I like it here, I learn stuff!
Keep a backup copy of your work elsewhere, such as on a flash drive. Computers are not immortal. Neither are flash drives, but at least with some overlap, your work won't be destroyed along with your computer, and you can continue it at a computer lab, friend's house, library, etc.
ReplyDeleteCassandra,
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating! Your reply to my genuine response merely continued to berate me for my misuse rather than explain the correct use of the phrase. This in turn suggests that you yourself are unsure how to use it, but nevertheless feel comfortable to call people out for misusing it.
Many folks do the same with the phrase "per se."
I do hope you will come back and try again or else refrain from calling people out for something you cannot explain. If I am indeed misusing this, I would like to know.
(as for the link you provided: tl;dr. If you are going to call me out for something but not be able to explain why the usage was wrong, then stop bringing it up until you can explain it yourself.)
Ah: begs the question CAN you as a professor....
ReplyDeletesecondary premise satisfied. I wasn't that far off. Cassandra, one might expect you to be able to explain that when you so readily attack people for misuse.
Begs the question means answers it in a way that actually avoids the question. It's more like "begs off answering" the question.
ReplyDelete