A sister shares things in common with her brother. At the very least, they share DNA in common. However, just because they are siblings, a sister and a brother are not perfectly alike in every way. This seems obvious, but similar mistakes are made in logical argumentation. Such a mistake is called a faulty analogy.
Faulty Analogy Definition
Faulty analogy is a logical fallacy. A fallacy is an error of some kind.
A logical fallacy is employed like a logical reason, but it is actually flawed and illogical.
Faulty analogy is specifically an informal logical fallacy, which means that its fallacy lies not in the structure of the logic (which would be a formal logical fallacy), but rather in something else.
A faulty analogy is saying that two things are alike in other ways just because they are alike in one way.
It should be easy to see how this can go wrong.
Faulty Analogy Synonyms
The faulty analogy is also called the false analogy.
The term has no direct Latin equivalent.
Uses of Faulty Analogy
Faulty analogies can appear in many forms. Here’s a simple use of the faulty analogy.
They are both cars. Therefore, they both run on gas.
Of course, two cars don’t necessarily share other attributes in common. One car could be electric. In fact, both could be electric!
Faulty analogies can be more absurd than this car example. As long as two things share something in common, a false analogy can be made.
Snow is white. That bird is white. Because these things are alike, that bird is also cold like snow.
The logical error of this isn’t hard to explain, but is nevertheless important to understand.
Faulty Analogy as a Logical Fallacy
To put it simply, a faulty analogy is a logical fallacy because the premise isn't true.
Snow is white. That bird is white. Because these things are alike, that bird is also cold like snow.
The premises here is, "Because these things are alike." However, in reality, while they share whiteness in common, they do not share everything in common.
A faulty analogy assumes that one similarity means multiple similarities. Since this is not always true, to make that assumption is a logical fallacy.
Because a faulty analogy is based on a misconception or assumption, it is a logical fallacy.
Faulty Analogy Example (Essay)
The examples so far have been simple, to illustrate what a faulty analogy is at its most basic level. However, you are unlikely to find such a blunt and simple use of faulty analogy in an essay. Here’s how a faulty analogy might actually appear.
In a study of minimum wageworkers in Outlandia, a suburb of New Flyswatter City, researchers determined that 68% of the demographic are white and that 90% are under the age of 21. Conducted by Root Cause in 2022, this study disproves the popular notion that many minimum wage workers are struggling minorities and poor people. As has always been the case in this country, minimum wage jobs are held by kids, including many white ones. Adults with minimum wage jobs are a tiny minority, and they probably have other issues."
This essay excerpt contains multiple fallacies, but can you spot the faulty analogy? The faulty analogy is that people with minimum wage jobs in Outlandia are the same kind of people with minimum wage jobs elsewhere.
Outlandia is a suburban area, and is most likely not indicative of the entire city, much less the entire state or country. To equate different groups simply because those groups all hold minimum wage jobs is to employ a faulty analogy.
` Faulty analogies can be found anywhere.
Tips to Avoid Faulty Analogy
To avoid creating a faulty analogy, here are a few things to look out for.
Don’t make assumptions. This means that you shouldn’t take something to be true without evidence. If a topic is hotly debated, you should not take the truthfulness of one side for granted, just because you have agreed with “that side” in the past.
Go a step deeper in your research. Cursory research can be as dangerous as no research. In fact, it can be worse! Consider again the essay excerpt. The evidence they misused gave their conclusion an air of legitimacy. Poor research can give you and your readers a false sense of truthfulness.
Look for differences in things. When drawing an analogy, don't just look for things in common. Also try to look for things not in common. This will help you not to create a faulty analogy.
The Difference Between Faulty Analogy and False Cause
As you know, a faulty analogy is saying that two things are alike in other ways just because they are alike in one way. On the other hand, a false cause is something different.
A false cause is believing that Y is caused by X, simply because Y follows X.
Say that Frank checks his phone, and then he gets mad at his friends. The false cause fallacy is to assume that Frank got mad at his friends because he checked his phone. This might be true, but he could have gotten mad for any other reason, too.
A faulty analogy is not concerned with cause and effect, unlike the false cause.
Difference Between Faulty Analogy and Hasty Generalization
More similar to the faulty analogy is the hasty generalization.
A hasty generalization is reaching a generalized conclusion about something based on a small sample of evidence.
A faulty analogy is a kind of hasty generalization because the fallacious party reaches a broad conclusion about something based on its similarity to one thing. However, not all hasty generalizations are faulty analogies. Here’s an example.
There’s an awful lot of crime in this part of town. The folks around here are criminals.
This erroneous conclusion is based on a statistic, not an unsound analogy, which makes it a hasty generalization but not a faulty analogy.
Faulty Analogy - Key Takeaways
- A faulty analogy is saying that two things are alike in other ways just because they are alike in one way.
- A faulty analogy is a logical fallacy because its premise is not sound.
- To avoid creating a faulty analogy, do in-depth research on a topic before drawing a conclusion.
- The faulty analogy is also called the false analogy.
- The faulty analogy is not the same as a false cause or hasty generalization.
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