Analogy Fallacies

Disciplines > Argument > Fallacies > Analogy Fallacies

Analogy is a very useful way of explaining by taking a new idea and finding a similar but known idea in a familiar domain. Other attributes of the familiar can then be used to explain further aspects of the new domain. This is, however, a hazardous activity, as although things may be similar in some ways, they are seldom identical and useful comparisons can easily go too far.

• Composition: Generalizing from a few to the whole set.
• Division: Assuming the parts have the characteristics of the whole.
• False Analogy: X has property Y. Z is like X. So Z has property Y.