History Main / CircularReasoning

* Monroe's dad in ''Series/Grimm'' when he learns his son's [[MalignedMixedMarriage marrying a Fuchsbau]]. This starts a huge argument, during which Bart starts ranting that mixed marriages destroy families: "It's happening already!" In other words, he disapproves of Monroe marrying Rosalee, because they're having an argument, because he disapproves of Monroe marrying Rosalee.

[[caption-width-right:258:This image is true because it agrees with this image]]

* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode, "Five Characters in Search of an Exit," when the major pounds on the wall, the clown sings, "We're here because we're here because we're here."

* According to Creator/IsaacAsimov, this was used in [[TheDungAges the Middle Ages]] as an excuse not to educate women; all intelligent people know Latin, but women don't know Latin so they must be stupid, which means that there's no point in teaching them Latin (or anything else). This is also the fallacy of confusing knowledge with intelligence, which [[InsultFriendlyFire also]] underpins large parts of so-called "[[UsefulNotes/IQTesting intelligence tests]]". Even if this was true, it'd be a really weird thing to believe then suddenly finding out women in medieval Paris [[BrokenAesop could vote on local affairs]].
* A '''monarchy''' is a nation ruled by a monarch; a '''monarch''' someone who rules a monarchy. What with {{Hereditary Republic}}s, [[ElectiveMonarchy Elective Monarchies]], and Presidents-For-Life, that's about the clearest definitions there are, and political scientists often admit that sometimes [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny the only difference between a monarchy and a republic are the titles involved]]. Practically, it's the same: as someone wrote, "Romans noticed they have an Empire already only when the Court protocol changed".

* A version of this is used as a rhetorical device by legal scholars. Ask them why they criminalize something, most will answer "because it's criminal." This is ''not'' actually an example of this trope, because "criminal" has multiple meanings.

** If homosexuality was illegal at the time, how is this circular reasoning? Given that anyone exposed as homosexual would fear prison, they would in fact be open to blackmail.
** Oddly enough, it was also thought to be a reason why they would make good agents; hiding one's activities, meeting covertly and maintaining a respectable front to avoid suspicion are the kind of skills the Service found useful.
** This reasoning destroyed Alan Turing's life when his homosexuality came out. Despite having helped crack the Enigma code in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and saving thousands of lives, along with doing brilliant work in computing, mathematics, robotics, etc. his security clearance was canceled. Given the SadisticChoice of undergoing chemical castration or serve time in prison for his "gross indecency", Turing became depressed and killed himself. In 2009, British Prime Minister GordonBrown finally issued an official apology; and in December 2013, HM the Queen issued a royal pardon.

** Because a boy could date another boy without having sex with him?

** This reasoning destroyed Alan Turing's life when his homosexuality came out. Despite having helped crack the Enigma code in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and saving thousands of lives, along with doing brilliant work in computing, mathematics, robotics, etc. his security clearance was canceled. Given the SadisticChoice of undergoing chemical castration or serve time in prison for his "gross indecency", Turing became depressed and killed himself. In 2009, British Prime Minister GordonBrown finally issued an official apology.

->So you're denouncing the series for promoting stereotypes, by drawing upon said stereotype as evidence of your argument. That is the verbal equivalent of an [[MCEscher Escher]] drawing.

BeggingTheQuestion used recursively. A is true because B is true. B is true because C is true. C is true because A is true. The proof simply circles around and around, with nothing in it that it isn't being proved by itself. This is a [[LogicalFallacies logical fallacy]], because it disallows the possibility that ''all three'' are false and, like BeggingTheQuestion, presupposes the truth of the thing it's supposed to be providing an argument to prove the truth of.

* Invoked in ''{{Idiocracy}}'' by the Presidential Cabinet members when Joe fruitlessly tries to explain to them why they should stop watering crops with Brawndo (a sports drink):

* In ''Literature/{{Wings}}'' (about a certain almost insignificant subset of living things of Florida):

* In ''[[XWingSeries Starfighters of Adumar]]'', Wedge points out the use of this trope as he [[{{Deconstruction}} takes apart the concept]] of a ProudWarriorRaceGuy:

--> '''Student:''' [[LampshadeHanging Hmm, I guess it makes sense whent you put it like that.]]

--->'''Scott''': "They were better, because they were superior." That's a good point, on account of its quality.
* In the ''{{xkcd}}'' "[[http://xkcd.com/1052/ Every Major's Terrible]]" song, a theology major can be seen writing a proof that goes "X, therefore there exists X".

** This reasoning destroyed Alan Turing's life when his homosexuality came out. Despite having helped crack the Enigma code in WorldWar2 and saving thousands of lives, along with doing brilliant work in computing, mathematics, robotics, etc. his security clearance was canceled. Given the SadisticChoice of undergoing chemical castration or serve time in prison for his "gross indecency", Turing became depressed and killed himself. In 2009, British Prime Minister GordonBrown finally issued an official apology.

* According to Creator/IsaacAsimov, this was used in [[TheDungAges the Middle Ages]] as an excuse not to educate women; all intelligent people know Latin, but women don't know Latin so they must be stupid, which means that there's no point in teaching them Latin (or anything else). This is also the fallacy of confusing knowledge with intelligence, which [[InsultFriendlyFire also]] underpins large parts of so-called "[[YouFailTheIQTest intelligence tests]]".
** Even if this was true, it'd be a really weird thing to believe then suddenly finding out women in medieval Paris [[BrokenAesop could vote on local affairs]].
* A '''monarchy''' is a nation ruled by a monarch; a '''monarch''' someone who rules a monarchy. What with {{Hereditary Republic}}s, [[ElectiveMonarchy Elective Monarchies]], and Presidents-For-Life, that's about the clearest definitions there are, and political scientists often admit that sometimes [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny the only difference between a monarchy and a republic are the titles involved]].
** Practically, it's the same: as someone wrote, "Romans noticed they have an Empire already only when the Court protocol changed".
* Fix point in mathematics (and (co-)induction). Those are circular reasoning done in careful enough way that they work.

* Try discussing with TheFundamentalist about the existence of God, as well as His, and by proxy his follower's rights to decree what's right or wrong and how people should live their lives. Constantly they'll begin answering with increasingly TautologicalTemplar, KnightTemplar and HolierThanThou reasoning, which are very much CircularReasoning("God is Right because he's God, and God is always right, so therefore all I do, as long as I'm doing it for Him, is also right!").

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* On the ''WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation'' review of ''WorldOfWarcraft: Cataclysm'', Yahtzee asked another player why he raids. The raider's reason is that it gets stuff. Why does he want stuff? To raid with.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* During one ''BeavisAndButtHead'' music video segment, Beavis asks why a certain person in the video is on TV. Butt-head says he's on TV because he's famous. What's he famous for? He's famous for being on TV. This goes back and forth for awhile, with Butt-head getting increasingly irritated that Beavis doesn't get it.
* In the ''[[TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron Jimmy Neutron]]'' TV movie, "The League of Villains", during a KangarooCourt, T is upset that he has to be the court's bailiff instead of being on the jury with the rest of the villains. When he asks why he can't be on the jury, the villains tell him that they already voted on it. He asks why he didn't get to vote, to which the response is, "Because you're not on the jury."
[[/folder]]
----

BeggingTheQuestion used recursively. A is true because B is true. B is true because C is true. C is true because A is true. The proof simply circles around and around, with nothing in it that it isn't being proved by itself. This is a [[LogicalFallacies logical fallacy]], because it disallows the possibility that ''all three'' are false.

* During one BeavisAndButtHead music video segment, Beavis asks why a certain person in the video is on TV. Butt-head says he's on TV because he's famous. What's he famous for? He's famous for being on TV. This goes back and forth for awhile, with Butt-head getting increasingly irritated that Beavis doesn't get it.

* In the [[TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron Jimmy Neutron]] TV movie, "The League of Villains", during a KangarooCourt, T is upset that he has to be the court's bailiff instead of being on the jury with the rest of the villains. When he asks why he can't be on the jury, the villains tell him that they already voted on it. He asks why he didn't get to vote, to which the response is, "Because you're not on the jury."

* A version of this is used as a rhetorical device by legal scholars. Ask them why they criminalize something, most will answer "because its criminal." This is ''not'' actually an example of this trope, because "criminal" has multiple meanings.

* The British used a similar line of reasoning against employing homosexuals in the Secret Service (when it was illegal); it was

* In ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'': Wonderella and Dr. Shark use this when confronting an highscool student about [[DrugsAreBad the dangers of Marijuana]]

* In the ''Twilight Zone'' episode, "Five Characters in Search of an Exit," when the major pounds on the wall, the clown sings, "We're here because we're here because we're here."

BeggingTheQuestion used recursively. A is true because B is true. B is true because C is true. C is true because A is true. The proof simply circles around and around, with nothing in it that it isn't being proved by itself.

* In the ''Twilight Zone'' episode, "Five Characters in Search of an Exit," when the major pounds on the wall, the clown sings, "We're here because we're here because we're here."

* In Discworld/MakingMoney, this is why The Department of Post Mortem Communications can't be called necromancy:

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Ned explains the reason he must execute a deserter: because they know their life is forfeit if caught, [[DangerousDeserter they will balk at nothing and are thus the most dangerous people]]. If they ''weren't'' executed on sight, this might not be the case.

-->- About 6 minutes into [[http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/cr/ff/32594-episode-58-my-little-pony-retrospective-g4 this]] ''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FIM]]'' retrospective from ''[[WebVideo/FamiliarFaces Chad Rocco]].'' [[hottip:*:On the criticisms that Rainbow Dash represented the "lesbian tomboy" stereotype.]]

--> ''':Dr. Shark:''' Because, young man, Marijuana is ''illegal.''