Mereological fallacy

One of my biggest bugbears is the mistaken inferrance of scale. That is, trying to apply understanding of a small system to a similar but larger system, or vice-versa.

Fallacies of division (pars pro toto) and composition ( totum pro parte) have been considered at least since Aristotle wrote On Sophistical Refutations. But these are often treated as mistakes of language, while I am concerned with their logical sides. (Division fallacy is sometimes called an ecological fallacy. This is a very appealing term, but is limited to mistakes about smaller scales and tends to apply only to measurement.)

Rhetorically, it can be very useful to engage in synecdoche (and call the Netherlands “Holland”), but as with most shortcuts it can be taken too far and lead to erroneous beliefs. A few forms that bother me:

Expecting companies to behave like humans, with a narrative memory, coherent motivations and intentions, and morals.

Merely summing up the abilities of individuals to judge the ability of a team.

Using “kitchen table” economics to understand government budgeting.

Assuming a forum full of people can be communicated with as if in a conversation.

Treating nations like one would a family, expecting patriotism to bond citizens.

Trying to understand weather as fluid dynamics, or climate as weather.