Analogy

An analogy is based on a comparison between two or more things or events. Analogies often contain words or phrases such as like, as, similarly, or compared to. Noticing similarities between things or events is one of the ways we learn from experience. A child burns his hand on a candle and afterwards stays away from a campfire because of the similarity between the two.

Analogies can exist on their own as descriptive devices, such as in “She’s like a bull in a China shop” or “Finding my car in the commuter parking lot like looking a needle in a haystack”. Metaphors are a type of descriptive analogy which is frequently found in literature. In this passage from Macbeth (act V), Shakespeare compares life to a stage play. 

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets upon the stage

And then is heard no more

In addition to standing on their own, analogies can be used as premises in arguments. An argument based on an analogy claims that if two things are similar in one or more ways, they are probabl alike in other respects as well.

Premise: X (which is familiar) has characteristics a,b and c.

Premise: Y (which is not as familiar) has characteristics a and b.

Conclusion: Therefore, Y probably also has characteristic c.

Arguments based on analogies are common in many fields including law, religion, politics and the military. Analogies can be used to refute arguments containing weak or false analogies. One way to do this is to respond to the faulty analogy with a new one. A refutation using a new analogy can start out with a phrase such as “You might as well say that” or “That is like saying”.