Which fallacy is characterized by assuming the truth of the conclusion in its premise?

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Circular reasoning shows up when the premise already treats the conclusion as true, so the argument ends up proving itself rather than offering independent support. This is begging the question: the claim is assumed in the premise, so no outside evidence is provided to justify it. For example, saying “The Bible is true because it is the word of God, and God exists because the Bible says so” uses the conclusion (God exists) as part of the support for the conclusion itself. That circular loop doesn’t actually prove anything new.

This stands apart from other common missteps. A false dichotomy limits choices to two options when more exist. Post hoc ergo propter hoc wrongly assigns causation simply because one event followed another. Ad hominem attacks focus on the person rather than addressing the argument’s merits.