Weak Analogy
Also: False Analogy
Class: Distort
Class: Distort
Using a weak analogy as if it were proof.
Analogies never prove or disprove anything.
They only help to explain.
And no analogy is ever perfect.
The kidneys are a filtration organ, so like a filter you need to flush out all the toxins it catches.
They have the same purpose as a filter, but they do not operate the same way, so you don’t need to flush them out.
A watch is complex, and it is designed intelligently. Living beings are also complex, so they must be from intelligent design.
Just having a common trait does not prove that anything else is the same.
Strong analogies are fair, but they’re still not proof:No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
But people do use words as weapons. If I stab you, it’s my fault that you bleed, not yours. So if I insult you, isn’t that my fault too?
Yes but...
If there is no simile or metaphor, see Unfair Comparison.
Foolacy vs. Fallacy
This matches the False Analogy fallacy. People often misunderstand this fallacy. They think any flaw in the fallacy makes it false, but all analogies are flawed and imperfect. “False” implies there are “true” analogies, when really it’s a subjective scale from weak to strong.
People also falsely believe a strong analogy can prove or disprove an argument. This is never true. Analogies are excellent rhetorical devices to help explain something and support your argument, but never proof.So far I haven’t found many examples of truly weak analogies. Most are used fairly as a rhetorical device that isn’t misleading anyone. So this doesn’t meet the criteria yet for “commonly used”, so maybe this should be cut. On the other hand, I feel like it’s important for people to learn that analogies are not “false” just because they are imperfect. TBD. Please suggest more examples.