1. Begging The question/circular reasoning
By: Courtney Hammer and Chloe Poland

2. Begging the question- “assuming the conclusion (of an argument)”, a type of circular reasoning. This is an informal fallacy where the conclusion that one is attempting to prove is included in the initial premise of an argument, often in an indirect way that conceals this fact
Circular reasoning- is not a formal logical fallacy but a pragmatic defect in an argument where by the premises are just as much in need of proof or evidence as the conclusion, and as a consequence the argument fails to persuade

3. Examples

4. Example from the crucible
Elizabeth: “If you think that I am one, then I say there are none” Act two, page 200
This is an example of circular reasoning. The problem in this argument is that Elizabeth is only saying that there are no witches because she is accused of being one, if she had not been accused of being a witch then she would say that witches were real.

5. Example #2
Martha Corey: “ I am innocent to a witch. I know not what a witch is” Act three, page 207
This is an example of circular reasoning. The problem with this argument is that she is only saying that she doesn’t know what a witch is because she is being accused.

6. Work Cited "Main Page." RationalWiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
"Main Page." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Feb