False Analogy

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This page is part of the EvoWiki encyclopedia of fallacies. Browse: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Contents 1 Synonyms 2 Explanation 3 Category 4 Subfallacies 5 See Also 6 External Links 7 Examples in creationist arguments

Synonyms

• Weak Analogy
• False Analogy Fallacy
• Questionable Analogy
• Faulty Analogy
• Vague Similarities
• Extended Analogy
• Faulty Comparison
• False Metaphor

Explanation

This fallacy occurs when Object A (with property Y) and Object B are shown to be similar in many areas, and this similarity is used to show why Object B must also have property Y. For example:

Bananas and telephones are both shaped to fit our face, so bananas must, like telephones, be designed.

This is fallacious because a similarity in one area doesn't imply a similarity in another. For example:

Bananas and telephones are both shaped to fit our face, so bananas must, like telephones, be inedible.

The argument is structured the same, but the conclusion is now more obviously incorrect.

Category

• Error in Sampling

Subfallacies

• Historical Parallelism
• Question-Begging Analogy
• Unrepresentative Sample

See Also

• Argument from Design

External Links

• Bruce Thompson [1]
• Wikipedia [2]
• Fallacy Files [3]
• Stephen Downes [4]

Examples in creationist arguments

• Science can't define species
• Tornadoes in junkyards don't build things
• Darwin's analogy to artificial selection is misleading
• Evolutionary theory in computer science has been unsuccessful
• Would you hire an artisan, driver, or doctor who is known for doing it wrong 999 out of 1,000 times?
• Design is detectable