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Full Idea
In Babylon thought seems to have worked mainly by analogy, rather than by the deductive or inductive processes we use in the modern world.
Gist of Idea
Babylonian thinking used analogy, rather than deduction or induction
Source
Peter Watson (Ideas [2005], Ch.04)
Book Ref
Watson,Peter: 'Ideas: from fire to Freud' [Phoenix 2006], p.112
A Reaction
Analogy seems to be closely related to induction, if it is comparing instances of something. Given their developments in maths and astronomy, they can't have been complete strangers to the 'modern' way of thought.
| 15770 | Some things cannot be defined, and only an analogy can be given [Aristotle] |
| 4636 | All reasoning concerning matters of fact is based on analogy (with similar results of similar causes) [Hume] |
| 6961 | An analogy begins to break down as soon as the two cases differ [Hume] |
| 5555 | Philosophical examples rarely fit rules properly, and lead to inflexibility [Kant] |
| 5331 | You can't infer that because you have a hidden birth-mark, everybody else does [Ayer] |
| 6574 | Legal reasoning is analogical, not deductive [Fogelin] |
| 7465 | Babylonian thinking used analogy, rather than deduction or induction [Watson] |
| 16307 | Don't trust analogies; they are no more than a guideline [Halbach] |