ANALOGY

ANALOGY, a certain Relation, Proportion, or Agreement, which several Things, in other respects different, bear to each other.—Such is that between the Bull in the Heavens, and the Animal so called on Earth. The Word is Greek, Ἀναλογία (Analogia); which the Latins usually render by Comparatio, and Proportionalitas: And hence, among Geometricians, Analogia is frequently used for a Similarity of Ratios; called also Proportion. See PROPORTION. Reasonings by Analogia may serve to explain and illustrate, but not to prove anything; yet is a great deal of our philosophizing no better founded. See SIMILARITY, PURPOSE, REASONING, etc. In Matters of Language, we say, New Words are formed by Analogia, i.e., new Names are given to new Things, conformably to the established Names of other Things of the like Nature and Kind. See LANGUAGE, and WORD.



The Difficulties and Obscurities in a Language, are chiefly to be cleared up by Analogia. See ETYMOLOGY.

The Schoolmen define Analogia to be a Resemblance, joined with some Diversity: Its Foundation, according to them, is laid in the Proportion of several Things, considered as that Proportion proceeds upon different Considerations. See PROPORTION. Thus; a sound Animal, a sound Food, and a sound Proposition, agreeing in this, that they have a common Denomination, but the Reason or Quality whereon the Denomination is founded, different; are said to have an Analogia, or to be analogous. Accordingly, Analogous Things are defined to be such as have a common Name, but the Thing immediately signified by that common Name, different; yet with some Correspondence or Relation discernible therein. See GENERAL TERM.

Philosophers usually distinguish three Kinds of Analogia, viz.—of Inequality, where the Reason of the common Denomination is the same in Nature, but not in Degree or Order: In which Sense, Animal is analogous to Man, and Brute. Of Attribution; where, though the Reason of the common Name be the same, there is a difference in its habitude or respect thereto: In which Sense, Healthy is analogous both to a Man, and an Exercise——Of Proportionality; where, though the Reasons of the common Name do really differ, yet they bear some proportion to each other: In this Sense, the Gills of Fishes are said to be analogous to the Lungs in terrestrial Animals: and thus, the Eye and the Understanding are said to bear an Analogia to each other.

ANALOGY