Inferring unobservable relations by analogy

This paper introduces and analyzes a kind of analogical inference that, I argue, has been largely overlooked by philosophers and cognitive scientists. These are cases in which the primary inference is a multi-placed relation that connects already known or observed elements. Such relational analogical inferences are especially important in the social sciences. Contrasting them with other recognized types of analogical inference illuminates both their role in scientific inquiry and the warrants that govern their strength.