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Difficulty: MediumArgument by Analogy

Read the following argument carefully.

Policy Analyst: When commercial aviation was in its infancy, government regulators did not impose strict, comprehensive safety standards immediately; instead, they allowed the industry room to experiment, stepping in with rigid regulations only after the technology had matured and common risks were well understood. Therefore, in our current approach to regulating autonomous vehicles, we should similarly avoid enacting comprehensive safety mandates too early. Premature regulation will only stifle innovation in autonomous driving before we fully understand its capabilities and risks.

Match each structural component of this argument by analogy (on the left) to its corresponding specific concept or statement from the text (on the right).

  • Target Subject (The primary focus of the argument's conclusion)Autonomous vehicles
  • Base Subject (The analog used as the source of comparison)Early commercial aviation
  • Base Characteristic (The historical fact described in the premise)Allowing industry experimentation before imposing rigid rules
  • Target Recommendation (The policy action advocated for in the conclusion)Avoiding the early enactment of comprehensive safety mandates

Answer

The target subject is autonomous vehicles. The base subject is early commercial aviation. The base characteristic is allowing industry experimentation before imposing rigid rules. The target recommendation is avoiding the early enactment of comprehensive safety mandates.
In an argument by analogy, the author compares a Target Subject (the topic of the conclusion, here 'autonomous vehicles') to a Base Subject (a known or historical analog, here 'early commercial aviation'). The author highlights a Base Characteristic (that aviation regulators allowed experimentation before imposing strict rules) and maps this to a Target Recommendation (that we should avoid early safety mandates for autonomous vehicles).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main conclusion of the argument to determine the Target Subject.
The conclusion states what we should do in our 'current approach to regulating autonomous vehicles.'
The target of an analogy is the subject the author is ultimately trying to make a point about.
2
Identify the comparative example used to support the conclusion to determine the Base Subject.
The author uses 'commercial aviation... in its infancy' as the comparison point.
The base (or analog) is the established situation that is being compared to the target.
3
Identify the specific facts or premises asserted about the Base Subject to find the Base Characteristic.
The text states that regulators for early aviation 'allowed the industry room to experiment, stepping in with rigid regulations only after the technology had matured.'
Arguments by analogy work by transferring a known characteristic of the base to the target.
4
Identify what the author suggests should be done regarding the Target Subject to find the Target Recommendation.
The text states we should 'avoid enacting comprehensive safety mandates too early.'
This is the final transferred property that forms the argument's conclusion.

Key Concept

Structural components of an argument by analogy (Base/Analog vs. Target)
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Topics

Argument by Analogy

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