Academic Analogies

While the above examples are informal, conversational analogies, there are also more academic analogies that can be used to teach ourselves different concepts. Academic analogies derive their effectiveness from the fact that they force you to transfer something you’ve learned to another context. To do this well, you inevitably need to have some grasp over your subject matter, and this is why analogies are so often used for testing and assessing students on their learning.

(D). (Heick: 2020

Fill in “law” and “constitution” in the A and B spaces respectively. What you need to do now is fill C with something that plays the role of laws, and D with something that it plays that role for. Laws are the main component of a constitution, so we’re looking for an object and the thing that it majorly consists of. One example of this is code in digital applications. So we’d feed that in using the same format—Law : Constitution :: Code: Digital Applications.

It’s natural to be unsure of whether your analogy really holds, and grappling with whether your comparison fits well is part of absorbing your original concept in the right manner. Think of ways to justify the comparison. Does law play the same role for constitutions as code does for applications?

The answer is yes. Constitutions are made up of laws, and digital applications rely on coding for everything from design, to features, speed, and more. Without laws or code, both of these entities lose their essential feature. You can’t have a constitution without laws, nor are applications without code possible.

Let’s consider another example; this time we’ll think of an analogy for fish and river. Fishes are found in rivers, so we need to identify something that is commonly found in a certain area. One example could be animals on land, or birds in the sky. We’ll note this using the same format—Fish : River :: Animals : Land. While this way of coming up with analogies might initially seem somewhat dry, this activity will become much more fun as you practice it further. Besides, you’ll surely notice the learning advantages it gives you.

The examples we’ve discussed so far are of a particular type of academic analogy. There are fourteen different types in total, and each can be used in different contexts based on the kind of connection you’re making between the original two components, and the thing they’re being compared to. Each of these also promote creative thinking in their own ways, so use them appropriately.

Synonym

Here you simply have to find a synonym for the thing you’re learning. Say you’re studying deontological ethics. What’s another way to say that without the jargon? Here’s the answer. First we’ll consider two synonyms on the left side for comparison. For our purpose we’ll use “beginner” and “novice.” One synonym for this term is simply “rules,” and that’s what we’ll fill into the D space. Beginner: Novice :: Deontological ethics : Rules.

Antonym

This is the exact reverse of the previous type of analogy in that you have to name the opposite of something you’re learning. As before, we’ll use an example on the left, and this time it’ll be “beginner” and “master.” Say we’re studying the concept of liberty. What would be an antonym for that? Servitude. Thus, we have Beginner: Master :: Liberty : Servitude

Part/Whole

This is the type of analogy we utilized for our example with laws and video games. This type of analogy can help you contextualize what you are learning and see where it fits in the larger scheme of things. For this example, we’ll use “stars” and “galaxy” on the left. If you’re studying atomic theory from chemistry, you can use this to create an analogy between stars in a galaxy and atoms with molecules, or molecules and any object. So we have Stars : Galaxy :: Atoms : Molecules.

Cause/Effect

While using this analogy, keep in mind that it is often easy to reverse the order of cause and effect. What appears to be the effect is often the cause, and vice versa, especially when you’re studying phenomena in the social sciences. Use the cause/effect analogy to observe whether you’ve understood the chain of causation correctly.

For example, the rise of cars led to the decline of horse carriages. Say you’re studying the theory of nationalism. This concept originated with the French revolution, but did nationalism cause the Revolution, or did the Revolution result in the rise of nationalism? Frame your analogy depending on what you think is the right answer, and justify it accordingly. Here you might end up with Cars : Horse Carriages :: French Revolution : Nationalism, or you might settle on Cars : Horse Carriages :: Nationalism : French Revolution. Your answer and the reasoning behind it will ensure you understand just how one element led to the next.

Thing/Function

This analogy is useful for reflecting upon the practical utility of the thing you’re studying by looking for its functions. Alternatively, you can simply draw analogies between a particular concept, event, etc., and analyze the role it plays in a certain context, which also counts as its function. For example, headphones are used to listen to music. Assume you’re studying the life of Martin Luther King. What was his role/function in history? Advocating for civil rights. This gives us Headphones : Music :: MLK : Civil Rights.

Thing/Characteristic

Thing/Characteristic is among the simpler types of analogies on this list, but it can still be useful in taking an account of how much you know about a particular concept or object. To use this analogy effectively, name as many characteristics of the thing you’re learning as possible and note all of them down.

For example, cotton is soft. If you’re studying atomic theory, one characteristic of atoms is that they’re minuscule in size. So we have Cotton : Soft :: Atoms : Small. Other characteristics of an atom include the fact that it’s the basic component of all objects, it forms chains with other atoms, etc.

Thing/Context

This analogy is very similar to the Part/Whole type in that both act as effective means to contextualize concepts within a certain framework. For example, we generally speak of electronic devices like phones, televisions, etc., in the context of technology. Similarly, we talk of politicians and policies in the context of elections. This gives us Electronic Devices : Technology :: Politicians : Elections.

Example/Type Of

Example/Type Of analogies can be very useful in using your knowledge for far transfers, because often the thing you’re studying can be an example of something that belongs to a “type of” from another context altogether. For example, an iPhone is an example or type of a smartphone. Similarly, deontology is an example of a system of ethics. This gives us iPhone: Smartphone :: Deontology: Ethics.

Category/Sub-Category

This type of analogy is almost identical to the previous one. If we use the same example, an iPhone is a subcategory of smartphones, while deontology is a subcategory of ethics.

Fact/Opinion

Fact/Opinion is another analogy that is especially useful for the social sciences. You’ll often come across resources that blend facts with opinion, and it pays to be able to differentiate between them. For example, say you hear someone saying, “It’s hot.” That’s a subjective opinion that may or may not apply to you. However, if someone says its 93 degrees outside, that might be based on actual reading of the current temperature.

Similarly, if someone says that a person is tall, your agreement depends on a lot of factors. However, if someone says that the person is 6’ 3”, you can objectively judge whether they are tall or not. So we have Hot: 93 degrees :: Tall : 6’ 3”.

Problem/Solution

This type of analogy lets you analyze and compare the solutions to particular issues with those of other problems. So discrimination can be countered by affection and mutual respect, while illnesses and diseases can be healed with medicines. Problem/Solution analogies will probably require the most detail out of all the ones listed here, and like Thing/Characteristic analogies, you can cite multiple solutions to the same problem.