Which of the following is an example of a circular argument?

Concept

A circular argument occurs when a conclusion is used, directly or indirectly, to support one of the premises that is supposed to establish that conclusion. The justification therefore returns to its starting claim instead of supplying independent support.

A useful test is to write the dependency chain: if claim P depends on claim Q and claim Q is accepted only through claim P, the reasoning has the form P → Q → P.

Application

Let T be the claim “scripture is trustworthy” and G be the claim “God is the source of scripture.” The clarified statement gives G as the reason for T.

The same statement then says that G is known from the scripture whose trustworthiness is T. Thus T is supported by G, while G is accepted through T: T → G → T. No independent support enters the chain.

Contrast and cross-check

• “God created man in his image and man created God in his own image” is a mirrored contrast between two acts of creation; neither clause is presented as evidence that establishes the other.

• “Scripture is trustworthy because God is its source, and we know that God is its source because the scripture says so” makes each claim depend on the other, so the justification returns to its starting point.

• “Some Indians are great because India is great” transfers a property attributed to a whole to some of its members; this is a whole-to-part inference rather than mutual justification.

• “Rama is great because he is Rama” gives identity as the stated ground for greatness, but it does not derive the proposition “Rama is great” from a premise that in turn depends on that same proposition.

Therefore, the circular argument is: “Scripture is trustworthy because God is its source, and we know that God is its source because the scripture says so.”