Graham's Argument Essay: What´s Analogical Reasoning?

Analogical reasoning or “reasoning that depends on a comparison of instances” may very well be the most prevalent of all rational processes (Hurley 524). When such reasoning is expressed in words, an argument from analogy results. Arguments from analogy play an essential role to many of life’s everyday decisions. This includes the trivial to the more significant matters. The distinct form and principles of arguments from analogy are used in legal systems as well in deciding moral questions. Argument by analogy is perhaps the most simple of all inductive reasoning. Such arguments never result in absolute assurance one way or the other but rather a probability that can be made weaker or stronger by the addition of greater evidence. Basic arguments
First off, is relevance of similarities. For this illustration, suppose a man named Graham is considering purchasing his first home. He concludes that he wants to purchase a victorian style home because he wants a spacious home and his friend Frank’s victorian home is spacious. To back his decision, Graham argues that the two homes have a pool, brand new appliances, and fireplaces. This argument is obviously weak because these similarities have nothing to do with the spaciousness of a home. However, if Graham had based his conclusion on the number of bedrooms in the homes, his argument would be relatively strong, because the number of bedrooms in a home is related to the spaciousness of a home. This illustrates that “the more relevant the similarities between primary and secondary analogues, the stronger the argument”
Imagine again the same scenario, only this time, after Graham’s buys home it is going to be divided into two houses, he isn’t allowed access to the garage, and the basement has been deemed unlivable, all while Frank’s house will remain undivided, he will continue to have sole access to the garage, and his basement will remain a livable part of his home. If this were the case Graham’s argument is weakened. These differences are termed disanalogies. Depending on “how they relate to the conclusion, disanalogies can either weaken or strengthen an argument”