Metaphor, Metonymy, and Experientialist Philosophy

Challenging Cognitive Semantics

Verena Haser

• Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9783110182835
• eBook ISBN: 9783110918243
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

The present book provides a detailed criticism of experientialist semantics, focusing both on philosophical issues connected with experientialism and on cognitive approaches to metaphor and metonymy. Particular emphasis is placed on the works of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, but other cognitivists are also taken into consideration.

Verena Haser proposes a new approach to the distinction between metaphor and metonymy, which contrasts with familiar cognitivist models, but also builds on some insights gained in cognitivist research. She also offers an account of metaphorical transfer which dispenses with the notion of conceptual metaphors in the sense of Lakoff and Johnson. She argues that conceptual metaphors are not a useful construct for explaining metaphorical transfer, and that the clustering of metaphorical expressions is better accounted for in terms of family resemblances between metaphorical expressions. Another major goal of this work is a reassessment of the relationship between experientialism and traditional Western philosophy (often subsumed under the vague term "objectivism").

This book contrasts with most other critical approaches to experientialism by providing close readings of key passages from the works of Lakoff and Johnson, which enables the author to pinpoint theory-internal inconsistencies and other shortcomings not noted in previous publications.

This book will be relevant to students and scholars interested in semantics and cognitive linguistics, and also in psychology and philosophy of language.

Table of contents

• Acknowledgements
• List of figures
• Chapter 1. Introductory remarks
• 1.1 Subject matter and central claims
• 1.2 Experientialism and the study of metaphor
• 1.3 The dawning of a new age?
• 1.4 Organization of the individual chapters
• Chapter 2. Metaphor and metonymy in cognitive linguistics
• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Criteria for distinguishing metaphor and metonymy
• 2.3 General problems with cognitivist analyses
• 2.4 An alternative approach
• 2.5 Summary
• Chapter 3. ARGUMENT IS WAR and Cognitive Linguistics
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 ARGUMENT IS WAR in Lakoff/Johnson’s works
• 3.3 Summary
• Chapter 4. Early cognitivists and the myth of objectivism
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Pre-echoes of Lakoff/Johnson’s theory of metaphor
• 4.3 Objectivism, objectivity, and myths
• 4.4 Lakoff/Johnson’s theory of truth
• 4.5 “The myth of objectivism”: A close reading
• 4.6 Lakoff/Johnson (1999) on the Fregean tradition
• 4.7 Experientialist philosophy by other cognitivists
• 4.8 Summary
• Chapter 5. Cognitive semantics: The theoretical framework
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Family resemblances and mental images
• 5.3 Mental images and experientialist semantics
• 5.4 Basic-level categories and “direct understanding”
• 5.5 The foundation of cognitive semantics
• 5.6 Summary
• Chapter 6. Lakoff/Johnson’s theory of metaphor
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Lakoff/Johnson on metaphorical concepts
• 6.3 Lakoff/Johnson on metaphorical “structuring”
• 6.4 Metaphorical definitions
• 6.5 Understanding metaphorical concepts
• 6.6 Lakoff/Johnson on the experiential basis of metaphors
• 6.7 A preliminary glance at Lakoff/Johnson (1999)
• 6.8 Summary
• Chapter 7. Metaphorical expressions – metaphorical concepts
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 The level of generality of source domains
• 7.3 Alternative groupings of metaphorical expressions
• 7.4 Case studies: Further examples and implications
• 7.5 Ordinary vs. metaphorical concepts
• 7.6 Family resemblances and metaphorical concepts
• 7.7 Summary
• Chapter 8. The conceptual metaphor view: Recent developments and criticism
• 8.1 Introduction
• 8.2 Psychological criticism of Lakoff/Johnson’s theory
• 8.3 On primary metaphors
• 8.4 Family resemblances, primary metaphors, and complex metaphors
• 8.5 Summary
• Chapter 9. Conclusion
• Appendix: ARGUMENT IS WAR in Lakoff (1987)
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index