Councilman Gil Cedillo’s ‘circular logic’

For an article I was editing, I checked out L.A. City Councilman Gil Cedillo’s bio on his Website. It explains, “Gil Cedillo has found a balance with his underlying message that progressive politics is good for business. This circular logic of ‘what is good for the people is good for business’ is what allows this legislator to have his cake and eat it too—a working class tilt without antagonizing the business class.”

It’s curious that he thinks “circular logic,” also called “circular reasoning,” is a good thing. Circular logic uses the fallacy “begging the question.”

For example, suppose someone said, as many did last fall, including Gov. Jerry Brown, “We need to raise taxes with Proposition 30 because the schools need more money.”

That begs the question: Do schools really need more money? And other questions: Could the schools be run better with less money? Do we even need public schools?

In Cedillo’s case, the “circular logic” cited on the Website begs the question: Is what’s good for the people really good for business”? And another question: Is what he’s doing really good for business, and for the people?