2018-06-11

False Analogy

An analogy is an attempt to explain something relatively unfamiliar by

referring to something different but more familiar, saying in effect,“This is like that.” Analogies can be helpful in promoting understanding, particularly of complex ideas, but they have the potential to be misleading. An analogy is acceptable as long as the similarities claimed are real. Here is an example of an acceptable analogy. An author discussing the contemporary problems of some black inner-city residents in America makes the point that not all these problems are effects of slavery. An analogy with cancer illuminates this point:

We can all understand, in principle, that even a great historic evil does not automatically explain all other subsequent evils. . . . Cancer can

indeed be fatal, but it does not explain all fatalities, or even most

fatalities.

错误类比

类比是一种引用一些比较熟悉的不同的事去解释相关的不熟悉的事的一种方法，说着“这就像这个。”类比可能会对于推进理解有帮助，特别是一些复杂的想法，但是它们也具有潜在的可能性造成误导。一个类比是可以接受的，只要所宣称的相似性是真的。这有一个可接受类比的例子。一个作家讨论了在美国中心城市居住的一些黑人这个当代问题，他指出不是所有的这类问题都来自于奴隶制影响。一个癌症的对比照应了这个观点：

我们都能理解，在理论上，甚至一个巨大的历史上的邪恶不能自动解释所有其余后续的邪恶……癌症确实是致命的，但它也不能解释所有死亡，或者甚至大部分都无法解释。