Wife beating

Gary Collins (etlgycs@etluk.ericsson.se)
Thu, 22 Jul 1999 12:59:37 +0100 (BST)

Steve wrote:

> > This seems to me to be an example of the Complex Question fallacy:
> >
> > "Complex Question. "When did you stop beating your wife?" That is a
> > perfect example of asking a complex question. It isn't really one question; it
> > is two. If only one response is given, no matter which question it answers,
> > the other question has an implied answer that may not be true.

Surely, the way to answer this would be to say:

"I've never started beating her,"

(assuming this to be true, of course) which would, I think, get you
out of any misunderstanding.

In my case, it would be even easier - I don't have a wife (yet) :-)

/Gary