back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 7465

[from 'Ideas' by Peter Watson, in 2. Reason / E. Argument / 3. Analogy ]

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 Reference

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.