Judging Analogies

Week 12, Post 3

I found section C (Judging Analogies) in chapter 12, Reasoning by Analogy, extremely useful. In this section of the book, I learned that reasoning by analogy is used when the premises are not clear or vague. When premises are not apparent or understandable, making comparisons or similarities are needed to draw the conclusion. The examples the book used were exceedingly helpful, it made it easier for me to understand because the two premises that are being compared must have some sort of relativity. The examples in the book went in depth and explained why certain analogies will not work. It listed numerous similarities and differences such as how both firemen and soldiers wear uniforms and fight for the lives of others. It stated that it needs to find the similarities and the importance "in order to find a general principle that applies to both sides." It is also required important to find differences because the "general principle might not apply to one side."