Forum: english.stackexchange.com
Tags: <vocabulary><single-word-requests>
Title: Using or arguing a biased opinion as fact
Question: I'm fairly sure there is a word or phrase to describe arguing emotively from an extreme, or biased, point of view as if your view is fact, but I can't remember what it may be. (I am wanting to use this word or phrase in a reply, I promise it is not a crossword clue.)  Any hints?

Answers:
sents: text: Perhaps you mean begging the question ?
text: According to BegTheQuestion.info, it means: "Begging the question" is a form of logical fallacy in which a statement or claim is assumed to be true without evidence other than the statement or claim itself.
text: When one begs the question, the initial assumption of a statement is treated as already proven without any logic to show why the statement is true in the first place.
text: A simple example would be "I think he is unattractive because he is ugly."
text: The adjective "ugly" does not explain why the subject is "unattractive" -- they virtually amount to the same subjective meaning, and the proof is merely a restatement of the premise.
text: The sentence has begged the question.
text: Interestingly, the term "begging the question" is commonly misused to mean, "to raise the question."
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/1631/Scott Mitchell
score: 7
sents: text: It's a Fallacious Argument , of which there are many varieties, find one here that fits your specific case... could well be Argument By Laziness (or Argument By Uninformed Opinion) http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2017/ocodo
score: 7
sents: text: I think you're actually thinking of a logical fallacy, known as the appeal to misleading authority, or ipse dixit.
text: http://www.fallacyfiles.org/authorit.html
text: This occurs when someone incorrectly assumes an opinion to be fact.
text: In contrast, hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not intended to be taken as fact.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2047/user2047
score: 6
sents: text: I would call this prejudice or prejudgement : making a judgement before heeding relevant facts or considering other viewpoints; presenting opinion as fact without sufficient evidence.
text: Pontification could be related.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/51433/Diamond Python
score: 2
sents: text: The term you are looking for seems to be hyperbole .
text: The Wikipedia entry defines it pretty well: Hyperbole ... is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech.
text: It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally.
text: Merriam-Webster simply defines it as "extravagant exaggeration", which is perhaps the most generic meaning.
text: Most commonly the word is used in the context of a debate/argument.
text: It evidently refers more to the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device, but emotion/persuasion often goes hand in hand, so it's pretty appropriate for the case you're considering.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/184/Noldorin
score: 1
sents: text: I hope most are agreed that "hyperbole" is not a good answer for the original question.
text: I'm thinking the sentiment expressed in the question is close to a definition of "dogmatic," though "dogmatic" does not connote anything about being extreme, more about simply stating opinions as if they were facts.
text: The question pertains as much to the arguing from a particular point of view as it does to the expression of that point of view.
text: "Dogmatic" seems to have this overtone, since the employment of dogma is almost exclusively in the context of persuasion, and not infrequently, argumentation.
text: Anyway, it follows that "to argue dogmatically" would be very close to the second part of "arguing emotively from an extreme, or biased, point of view as if your view is fact," but it does not capture the "extreme" aspect the poser wants, more the "arguing as if your view were already ascertained fact" aspect.
text: So, "dogmatic" is not a perfect fit--but maybe there isn't one.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/19379/chafe
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
There is no clear agreement as to what this particular concept is called, but potentially applicable terms could be "Begging the question", "logical fallacy" or "pontification".
The asker may be seeking for "beg the question" is a form of logical fallacy in which a statement or claim is assumed to be true without evidence other than the statement or claim itself. It is o ften incorrectly used as "to raise the question". It is a "fallacious argument". It's a logical fallacy.Prejudice or pre-judgement. Similarly, "pontification" could be another word.The term required is "hyperbole" as defined by Wikipedia.
There is no clear agreement as to what this particular concept is called, but potentially applicable terms could be "Begging the question", "logical fallacy" or "pontification".
This is a Fallacious Argument , of which there are many varieties. It could also be referred to as  prejudice  or  prejudgement or dogmatic.
Suggestions include "to beg the question"; "logical fallacy"; "prejudgement"; "pontification"; "hyperbole" or "dogmatic".
There is no clear agreement as to what this particular concept is called, but potentially applicable terms could be "Begging the question", "logical fallacy" or "pontification".