Rule 12: The essential aspect of an argument by analogy is that it compares two things. The argument, whether stated explicitly or implicitly, takes the following form. Person, group, idea, or concept A is like the person, group, idea, or concept B in these particular ways, therefore person, group, idea, or concept A is like B in this way also.
Question #4: Short Answer
Analogies: Analyze each of the four arguments by analogy by following the instructions below. Except for the video excerpt in #3, the links within each part are for reference purposes only. You are free to view these if you wish. (4 points each, 16 points total) However, you should realize that “Context Matters.”
Conduct your evaluation of each Argument by Analogy in Two Parts
- Confine your answer to a concise statement on how well the argument conforms to Argument Rule 12 (Your answer should contain no more than one complete sentence.)
- Inno more than two complete sentences; provide a complete evaluation of the main content of the argument, focusing on how closely the conclusions coincide with facts. For example, in the fourth analogy, you need to decide whether the expression “Opens the Floodgates” is confirmed by facts, or is merely an example of “Loaded Language.” (If you wish, you may post links from one to three credible sources.)
Analogy #1: “The label change was a blank check – one the drug industry cashed in for billions and billions of dollars.”
The above quote is from the TV program 60 Minutes that was aired on Sunday, February 24, 2019. The show documents that at secret meetings between members of Purdue Pharmaceuticals and the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), the FDA agreed to allow the labels on the opioid Oxycontin to be changed to say it was for long-term use, despite the fact that the dangers of addiction were already well known.
Analogy #2: “We have to prime the pump”
Donald Trump’s interview with The EconomistLinks to an external site. was released in May 2017 [Before the passage of the 2017 “Trump tax cut”].
To explain why we need tax cuts even if that increases the federal budget deficit, President Trump said:
TRUMP: We have to prime the pump (in order to stimulate the U.S. economy)
ECONOMIST: It’s very Keynesian.
TRUMP: We’re the highest-taxed nation in the world. Have you heard that expression before, for this particular type of an event?
ECONOMIST: Priming the pump?
TRUMP: Yeah, have you heard it?
ECONOMIST: Yes.
TRUMP: Have you heard that expression used before? Because I haven’t heard it. I mean, I just…I came up with it a couple of days ago and I thought it was good. It’s what you have to do.
Analogy #3: Cell phones are like Solar Energy in that the solar industry can leap-frog past fossil fuels…
You will need to watch this video clip to understand the analogy and the context.
Al Gore&Trevor Noah-InconvenietSequel.mp4Play media comment.
Analogy #4: “It [Citizens United] opened the floodgate for the billions of corporate dollars that influence our elections.”
(From an email) “Global corporations like Goldman Sachs, Bayer, and Koch Industries have enormous influence across the government- particularly on Capital Hill.”
“Look at the Citizen United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding campaign financing. That ruling struck down laws and legal precedent that restricted corporate spending on political campaigns. It opened the floodgates for the billions of corporate dollars that influence our elections.”
Source: Corporate Accountability International- Challenging Abuse, Protecting People
