A Method for Evaluation of Arguments from Analogy

Cogency: Journal of Reasoning and Argumentation 7 (2):109-123 (2016)
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Abstract

It is a common view that arguments from analogy can only be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, while this reflects an important insight, I propose instead a relatively simple method for their evaluation based on just (i) their general form and (ii) four core questions. One clear advantage of this proposal is that it does not depend on any substantial (and controversial) view of similarity, unlike influential current alternative methods, such as Walton’s. Following some initial clarification of the notion of analogy and similarity, I demonstrate the strength of this method by analysing and evaluating three prominent arguments from analogy.

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Bo R. Meinertsen
University of Sheffield

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References found in this work

Metaphors we live by.George Lakoff & Mark Johnson - 1980 - Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Edited by Mark Johnson.
Metaphors We Live By.George Lakoff & Mark Johnson - 1980 - Ethics 93 (3):619-621.
Argument by Analogy.André Juthe - 2005 - Argumentation 19 (1):1-27.
Story Similarity in Arguments from Analogy.Douglas Walton - 2012 - Informal Logic 32 (2):190-221.

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