Analogy And Its Roles In Scientific Cognition

As an important and innovative method of inference, analogy is playing a vital role in the scientific cognition. In chapter 1, this paper makes an all-round analysis on the basic conception of analogy, analyzing the source of the term, the type and the relationship between analogy and metaphor. As a thinking method, analogy had been used in the ancient time, but it didn't accord with scientific rules. According to the different relationship between objects, there are different types of analogy. There is close relationship between analogy and metaphor. Analogy is a necessary condition of metaphor, but it isn't a full condition of metaphor. The difference of them lies in the degree of the discrepancy between the specific objects. In chapter 2, this paper explores the structure and feature of analogy, pointing out that, as a method of inference, it has a deep structure and feature not a superficial similarity. The structure of analogy consists of prototype and model. In the meantime, analogy is of probability, similarity and exploration. It is helpful for us to understand analogy deeply to grasp its structure and feature firmly. In chapter 3, this paper explores the actions analogy plays in the scientific cognition, that is, explanation, enlightenment, simulation, imitation. The explanation of analogy is to illustrate the essence and cause of a similar object by known information of a special object. The enlightenment of analogy is to generalize the all facts of studying objects by looking the conclusion of the analogical inference as a clue. The simulation of analogy is to manufacture an analogical object of the studying object according to some fixed rules and to reappear the feature and process of the studying objects on the basis of the analogical object. The imitation of analogy is to imitate the natural objects by the use of analogy.