4 ms·

Sure it is, depending on the analogy and the purpose of the analogy. An analogy also isn't always fallacious. It needs to have a faulty extrapolated assumption

Sure it is, depending on the analogy and the purpose of the analogy. An analogy also isn't always fallacious. It needs to have a faulty extrapolated assumption from the comparison. In this particular case, the argument is that C should be replaced with something safer for similar reasons that asbestos is replaced with something safer. However, one can certainly challenge the validity of this comparison and whether there's something faulty in it. I don't feel one way or the other because I don't work with C or other low-level languages, but it's a bit absurd to say that an analogy isn't an argument. It absolutely can be if the argument within is clear, even if fallacious.

ulfbert_inc 4y ago
Thanks for clarifying. I meant valid, non-fallacious argument. More often than not I see analogies (ab)used as a tool to construct a straw man. This particular case demonstrates how analogy takes discussion away from merits and downsides of C to an emotionally charged subject of cancerogenic substances, as other commenters highlighted in this thread.
- nvrspyx 4y ago
  Personally, I don't think it's the commenter's fault that some others have such strong emotions to the analogy that they're distracted from the point. There's no indication that the commenter was appealing to emotion and, as others have also pointed out, making a comparison to an "emotionally charged" subject does not nullify the validity of the comparison. In fact, it's fallacious to falsely invalidate the argument based on some cherry-picked, subjective, peripheral perspective like that. In my opinion, the appeal to emotion and the derailment of the discussion is from those doing so, not the original commenter. It seemed like just a simple, general, easily-mappable analogy that most people would get, even non-programmer laymen, that emphasizes that unsafe should be replaced with safe. Any analogy of something unsafe can be seen as "emotionally charged" if someone was personally impacted by it.

ulfbert_inc 4y ago

Thanks for clarifying. I meant valid, non-fallacious argument. More often than not I see analogies (ab)used as a tool to construct a straw man. This particular case demonstrates how analogy takes discussion away from merits and downsides of C to an emotionally charged subject of cancerogenic substances, as other commenters highlighted in this thread.

nvrspyx 4y ago
Personally, I don't think it's the commenter's fault that some others have such strong emotions to the analogy that they're distracted from the point. There's no indication that the commenter was appealing to emotion and, as others have also pointed out, making a comparison to an "emotionally charged" subject does not nullify the validity of the comparison. In fact, it's fallacious to falsely invalidate the argument based on some cherry-picked, subjective, peripheral perspective like that. In my opinion, the appeal to emotion and the derailment of the discussion is from those doing so, not the original commenter. It seemed like just a simple, general, easily-mappable analogy that most people would get, even non-programmer laymen, that emphasizes that unsafe should be replaced with safe. Any analogy of something unsafe can be seen as "emotionally charged" if someone was personally impacted by it.