Argument from COMPARISON

Comparison is the process of determining whether or not two objects,, two situations, two systems… have some similarities or analogies. A process of comparison is involved in many argumentative activities, so the label argument by comparison (a comparatione) is used with different meanings.
These meanings correspond primarily with the argument: a fortiori; a pari;, by analogy; by example or exemplum.

Comparison and categorization — Comparison is the basis for the categorization-nomination process; the individual to be categorized is compared either with a known individual belonging to the category, or with the prototypical member defining the category. S. Justice

Intra-categorical comparison — Two beings belonging to the same category are identical from the point of view of that category. Nevertheless, they can still be compared in terms of:

— their non-categorical properties; S. Intra-categorical analogy.

— their position relative to a prototypical subcategory of that category. A rat and a whale, for example, are identical insofar as both are mammals; considering that the cow is a prototypical mammal, we can say that a rat, being nearer to a cow than to a whale, is “more” a mammal than a whale.

— Hierarchical categories,by definition, contain built-in comparisons: Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate are three types of academic degrees, listed by ascending order, see a fortiori argument.

Comparison and structural analogy — Establishing a structural analogy also involves a process of comparison.