3.1 Metaphor/Analogy principles illustration

Relationships:

1. Shared structure is on the top level, and source metaphor and the new situation on the bottom level

2. When reasoning with a metaphor, we need to figure out the source metaphor, then abstract the shard structure, and finally apply this structure in the new situation.

Philosophy is the science of sciences. From the perspective of philosophy, any subject field is about three things:

1. The components of the field

2. The relationships between these components

3. For each components, repeat the operations of 1 & 2.

Math has been applied in engineer widely.

How about social science? Can math be widely applied here?

The answer depends on how we view math: math can be used to address well-structured data problems; moreover, math can also be used to build models for ill-structured and semi-structured.

If we see math in this way, math should be able to inform social science greatly.

How knowledge is structured in our mind?

When we learn something, which is the way of changing the structure?

By hierarchy or by analogy?

Can you make a guess according to your daily thinking and learning.

Experts reason by models; Just-plain-folks reason by stories.

The models are usually created from stories.

Step 1: create or find a source applicatiion

Step 2: abstract the template structure

Step 3: apply the template in a new application situation.

These three subjects  should

--be taught explicitly and systematically from very young (maybe with the spiral curriculum)

--be taught explicitly and embedded in learning any subjects

UNFORTUNATELY, the reality is the inadequacy in every aspect.