The Commens Dictionary

Quote from ‘Lessons of the History of Science’

Term: 
Analogy
Quote: 

There are in science three fundamentally different kinds of reasoning, Deduction (called by Aristotle {synagögé} or {anagögé}), Induction (Aristotle’s and Plato’s {epagögé}) and Retroduction (Aristotle’s {apagögé}, but misunderstood because of corrupt text, and as misunderstood usually translated abduction). Besides these three, Analogy (Aristotle’s {paradeigma}) combines the characters of Induction and Retroduction.

Analogy is the inference that a not very large collection of objects which agree in various respects may very likely agree in another respect. For instance, the earth and Mars agree in so many respects that it seems not unlikely they may agree in being inhabited.

Source: 
Peirce, Charles S. (1896 [c.]). Lessons of the History of Science. MS [R] 1288
Date: 
1896 [c.]
References: 
CP 1.65-69
Citation: 
‘Analogy’ (pub. 05.01.13-09:28). Quote in M. Bergman & S. Paavola (Eds.), The Commens Dictionary: Peirce's Terms in His Own Words. New Edition. Retrieved from http://www.commens.org/dictionary/entry/quote-lessons-history-science-0.
Posted: 
Jan 05, 2013, 09:28 by Sami Paavola
Last revised: 
Jan 02, 2016, 16:22 by Mats Bergman