Analogies 101
A comparison showing how two things are alike in some way.
What is an analogy?
“Tuna is the chicken of the sea” is this type of analogy.
What is treating different things the same way?
The two forms of support an analogy always requires.
What are a comparable example and points of comparison?
This connects the past example to the new claim.
What is the assumption?
The first step in inventing an analogy is deciding this.
What is your claim?
These arguments can still persuade even if the comparison isn’t flawless.
What is an imperfect analogy?
Analogies can do this to shape our emotional reactions.
What is influence how we feel?
The situation or thing you use to draw your comparison.
What is a comparable example?
Without this, the audience won’t accept the analogy.
What is agreement with the comparable example?
Both are federal laws, recent, and enforced with mixed results.
What are NCLB and the ACA?
Relearning a skill is often compared to this common activity.
What is riding a bicycle?
Sit-ins and marches are compared to current activism in this analogy.
What is civil rights protests compared to modern protests?
Specific qualities that show how two things are alike.
What are points of comparison?
That Texas resisted and celebrated the end of this policy.
What is No Child Left Behind?
Analogies don’t need to show this for every case.
What is a general pattern?
Analogies do this by making unfamiliar ideas more relatable.
What is simplifying complex arguments?
This product is argued to share health and taste qualities with cow’s milk.
What is plant milk?
The number of points of comparison needed depends on this.
What is audience acceptance?
If this happens, the analogy fails completely.
What is audience disagreement with the example?
Comparing aviation autopilot to self-driving cars is this type.
What is an extended analogy?
Both of these reasoning methods draw claims from examples.
What are analogy and induction?
Even when stretched, analogies can succeed for this reason.
What is focusing on one important shared feature?
Skeptical audiences need more of these to be persuaded.
What are points of comparison?
This invisible link ties the example’s response to the new argument.
What is the assumption as the bridge?
Familiarity and shared experience help analogies do this.
What is resonate with the audience?