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Posted by dorayme on 03/06/06 23:20
In article
<1141648671.966511.273830@u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com>,
"Travis Newbury" <TravisNewbury@hotmail.com> wrote:
> dorayme wrote:
> > > > Atlantic in your Ocean Steamer?...
> > > Analogies are pretty stupid as you can make one up that supports any
> > > side to any argument. How about facts? Can you not support your
> > > argument using facts?
> > Well, hang on there Travis....
> > You can see the point of an analogy in a way that you cannot see
> > the point of a fact.
>
> Sorry dorayme, I disagee. If both you and I can take the same fact,
> and use a different analogy to help someone see a fact the way we want
> them to see it, then how does that help?
>
> A fact is a fact. One does not need to explain it using something
> completely unrelated.
This is quite a misunderstanding. I thought BdeZ's analogy not
too bad. But others have pointed out it could be better. Fine!
But your point is about analogies in general.
Of course a fact is a fact! Is it less noteworthy that an analogy
is an analogy?
About explanation, (if I can add to Els' point on this): It is
impossible completely and utterly to explain some things by
reference to facts. These hard gritty little stones just do not
do the trick. In trying to understand most of biological or
computer or mechanical processes, one needs to think in terms of
them having purposes. As a matter of fact they do not have
purposes (let's not argue this for now). But try to explain even
how any control system in any plant (man-made factory or natural)
works to someone without making like it does this _so_ that it
can do that. Analogy with human purpose is built in writ large to
almost every explanation of so much. And we cannot easily or
practically do without it. Try to understand a computer program
in the factest of facts: assembly language! Almost no one can.
And - btw - who sez you can't use analogies in court? Want me to
ferret out transcripts of counsel speeches? Want to leave an
escrow bet on this?
--
dorayme
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