Steelman
Loaded question
Also called plurium interrogationum (“of many questions”), complex question, fallacy of many questions, trick question.
Asking a question that smuggles in an unproven assumption.
What it is
Posing a question that presupposes something controversial or unestablished, so that any direct answer seems to accept the presupposition.
The pattern
“Why (or when, or how often) did you [do the thing you haven’t admitted doing]?”
An example
“Have you stopped cheating on your exams?”
“Yes” means you used to cheat, and “no” means you still do. Either answer accepts that you cheated.
Why it fails
The question never argues for its hidden assumption; it just builds it in. A “yes” and a “no” both concede it, so the respondent is trapped unless they challenge the premise itself.
When it’s not a fallacy
Most lists skip this part. Calling a fair point a fallacy is a mistake too.
It can be fair when
- The presupposition has already been established or agreed. “Why did you leave the door open?” is fine if you both saw the open door.
Try one
A question from the app. The wrong answers are its usual look-alikes.
Tenants’ group survey, this week: “Should landlords be allowed to keep raising rents 30% a year? Yes or no.” City data, out last week: the typical rent rise here was 6% last year, and fewer than 1 in 50 apartments went up 30% or more.
What’s the flaw?
The survey treats 30% yearly rises as the norm, but the city’s own data says they’re rare. Answering at all accepts a picture of the market the facts don’t support.
A fair reply
“Most rents here went up 6%. Ask about what’s actually happening, and I’ll answer.”
Often confused with
- Begging the question
A loaded question is a form of begging the question, packed into a question instead of a premise.
- False dilemma
A false dilemma limits the answers to two. A loaded question makes every direct answer concede a hidden claim.
Where the name comes from
Plurium interrogationum is Latin for “of many questions”: one question that’s secretly two or more, so it’s also called the fallacy of many questions. Complex question means the same, with complex as in “made of parts”. Loaded works like loaded dice: the question is weighted so any answer lands the asker’s way. Trick question is the everyday name.
Aristotle’s thirteen fallacies include “many questions”: treating several questions as one. The traditional textbook example is “Have you stopped beating your wife?”
Sources
- Fallacies, Bradley Dowden, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Fallacies, Hans Hansen, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Loaded question, Wikipedia
In the app
Practice spotting it on arguments that sound real.
Steelman has more examples of loaded question, how to answer it in a real conversation, and practice rounds that mix it with its look-alikes, so you learn the difference, not just the name. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
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