The logic of metaphor : analogous parts of possible worlds

Bibliographic Information

The logic of metaphor : analogous parts of possible worlds

Eric Charles Steinhart

(Synthese historical library, v. 299)

Kluwer Academic Publishers, c2010

  • : pbk

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Originally published: Dordrecht ; Boston : Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001

Bibliography: p. 231-248

Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

1. Metaphors and Logic Metaphors are among the most vigorous offspring of the creative mind; but their vitality springs from the fact that they are logical organisms in the ecology of l- guage. I aim to use logical techniques to analyze the meanings of metaphors. My goal here is to show how contemporary formal semantics can be extended to handle metaphorical utterances. What distinguishes this work is that it focuses intensely on the logical aspects of metaphors. I stress the role of logic in the generation and int- pretation of metaphors. While I don't presuppose any formal training in logic, some familiarity with philosophical logic (the propositional calculus and the predicate c- culus) is helpful. Since my theory makes great use of the notion of structure, I refer to it as the structural theory of m etaphor (STM). STM is a semant ic theory of m etaphor : if STM is correct, then metaphors are cognitively meaningful and are n- trivially logically linked with truth. I aim to extend possible worlds semantics to handle metaphors. I'll argue that some sentences in natural languages like English have multiple meanings: "Juliet is the sun" has (at least) two meanings: the literal meaning "(Juliet is the sunkIT" and the metaphorical meaning "(Juliet is the sun)MET". Each meaning is a function from (possible) worlds to truth-values. I deny that these functions are identical; I deny that the metaphorical function is necessarily false or necessarily true.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements. 1. Introduction. 2. Language. 3. Conceptual Structures. 4. Analogy. 5. Analogical Transference. 6. Metaphorical Communication. 7. Analogy and Truth. 8. Metaphor and Inference. 9. Lexical Meanings. 10. Conclusion. References. Index.

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Details
  • NCID
    BB05464349
  • ISBN
    • 9789048157129
  • Country Code
    ne
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Dordrecht ; Boston
  • Pages/Volumes
    vi, 254 p.
  • Size
    25 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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