RESEARCH ARTICLE

 

Metaphor: The intertwinement of thought and language

 

Metafoor: Die verstrengeling van gedagtes en taal

 

 

D.F.M. Strauss

Department Of Philosophy, University Of The Free State, Bloemfontein. E-mail: dfms@cknet.co.za

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

The analysis of this article aims at reflecting on the nature of metaphoricity within the context of thought and language -inspired by the contributions of Elaine Botha in this regard commencing about three decades ago. This paved the way for those who were working within the tradition of reformational philosophy to take a new look at the nature of metaphor.
Since thinking and talking are concrete activities in principle functioning in all aspects of reality, they cannot as such provide criteria to decide on the order relationship between the logical-analytical and lingual aspects of reality. It turns out that, without a proper view of the differences between concept and word, an account of the nature of metaphor remains inconsistent. Universal traits, logical objectification, and the conceptual unknow-ability of what is individual, surfaces in the article. The founda-tional role of spatial relationships appears to be linked to imaging and imagining, informing the proposal to differentiate between modally and entitary directed knowing.
The linguistic turn in particular inspired a renewed interest in language and the central place of metaphorical language use. After considering the connections between analogy and metaphor a new approach to the distinction between modal analogies and metaphors is proposed - one that is geared towards the interconnections between the different dimensions of our experiential world. The last part is dedicated to Lakoff and Johnson (1999) who have developed a peculiar view of the "embodied mind", "conceptual metaphor", and "cross-domain mappings", while the article concludes with an argument about the limits of substitution and take into account expanded conditions.

Key concepts: analogies, concept, conceptual metaphor, language, metaphor, thought

---

OPSOMMING

Die ontleding van hierdie artikel is gerig op die aard van meta-fore binne die konteks van taal en denke - geïnspireer deur die bydraes van Elaine Botha oor hierdie problematiek wat sowat dertig jaar gelede begin het. Dit het die weg gebaan vir diegene wat binne die reformatories-wysgerige tradisie werk om met nuwe oë na metafore te kyk.
Aangesien denke en taalgebruik konkrete aktiwiteite is wat in beginsel in alle werklikheidsaspekte funksioneer, kan dit as sodanig nie maatstawwe bied met behulp waarvan die orde-relasie tussen die logies-analitiese en die linguale aspekte van die werklikheid bepaal kan word nie. Dit blyk dat rekenskap van die aard van 'n metafoor nie op 'n konsistente wyse gegee kan word, sonder 'n verantwoorde siening van die verskille tussen 'n begrip en 'n woord nie. Universele trekke, logiese objektivering, begripskennis, en die begripsmatige onkenbaarheid van wat individueel is, verskyn ook in die artikel. Die funderende rol van ruimteverhoudings skyn verbind te wees aan beeldvorming en verbeelding, wat die voorstel ondersteun om tussen modaal- en entiteitsgerigte kennis te differensieer.
Dit was egter die sogenaamde linguistieke ommeswaai wat her-nude belangstelling in taal en in die sentrale plek van meta-foriese taalgebruik geïnspireer het. Deur te let op die verband tussen analogie en metafoor word 'n nuwe benadering tot die onderskeid tussen modale analogieë en metafore voorgestel -een wat gerig is op die verbindingslyne tussen die verskillende dimensies van die werklikheid. Die laaste gedeelte word gewy aan Lakoff en Johnson (1999) wat 'n besondere siening van die "embodied mind", "conceptual metaphor", en "cross-domain mappings" ontwikkel het, terwyl afgesluit word met 'n argument insake die grense van substitusie en die verdiskontering van meer uitgebreide kondisies.

Kernbegrippe: analogieë, begrip, begripsmetafoor, denke, metafoor, taal

---

 

 

Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

List of references

ARISTOTLE. 2001 [1941]. The basic works of Aristotle. Ed. by R. McKeon with an introduction by C.D.C. Reeve. New York: The Modern Library.

BIRTWISTLE, G.M 1996. Filosofie van de kunst en de aesthetica. (In Van Woudenberg, R., ed. Kennis en werkelijkheid. Amsterdam: Buijten & Schipperhijn. p. 342-370.         [ Links ])

BLACK, M. 1979. More about metaphor. (In Ortony, A., ed. Metaphor and thought. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 1-24.         [ Links ])

BOTHA, M.E. 2006. Metaphor, embodiment and fiduciary beliefs in science. (In Lategan, L.O.K. & Smith, J.H. Time and context relevant philosophy. Festschrift dedicated to D.F.M. Strauss. Bloemfontein: Association for Christian Higher Education. p. 17-36.         [ Links ])

BOTHA, M.E. 2007. Metaphor and its moorings, studies in the grounding of metaphorical meaning. Bern: Peter Lang.         [ Links ]

BRANDT, P.A. 2000. The architecture of semantic domains - a grounding hypothesis in cognitive semiotics. Revista portuguesa der humanidades, 4(1 & 2):11-51.         [ Links ]

CROCE, B. 1953. Aesthetic as science of expression and general linguistic. 3rd ed. Trans. from the definitive Italian edition from 1920. New York: Noonday.         [ Links ]

DE SAUSSURE, F. 1966. Course in general linguistics. Ed. by C. Bally & A. Sechehaye. London: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

DE VLEESCHAUWER, H.J. 1952. Handleiding by die studie van die logika en die kennisleer. Pretoria: Moerau.         [ Links ]

DIELS, H. & KRANZ, W. 1959-1960. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. Vol. 1-3. Berlin: Weidmannsche Verlagsbuchhandlung.         [ Links ]

DOOYEWEERD, H. 1938. Recht en historie. Paper presented at the 23rd Scientific Gathering of the Free University of Amsterdam, 13 July 1938.         [ Links ]

EIBL-EIBESFELDT, I. 2004. Grundriβ der vergleichenden Verhaltensforschung: Ethologie. Hrsg. Vierkirchen-Pasenach: Buch Vertrieb Blank GmbH.         [ Links ]

ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. 1975. Vol. 15. London: Hemingway Benton.         [ Links ]

GADAMER, H.-G. 1991. Die Hermeneutik und der Diltheyschule. Philosophische Rundschau, 38(3):161-177.         [ Links ]

KANT, I. 1969 [1783]. Prolegomena zu einer jeden künftigen Metaphysik die als Wissenschaft wird auftreten können. Hamburg: Felix Meiner edition.

KÖLLER, W. 1975. Semiotik und Metapher. Stuttgart: Metzier.         [ Links ]

LAKOFF, G. & JOHNSON, M. 1999. Philosophy in the flesh: the embodied mind and its challenge to western thought. New York: Basic Books.         [ Links ]

LAKOFF, G. & NÚNEZ, R.E. 2000. Where mathematics comes from: how the embodied mind brings mathematics into being. New York: Basic Books.         [ Links ]

MÁCKLER, A., Hrsg. 2000. 1 460 Antworten auf die Frage: Was ist Kunst? Köln: DuMont.         [ Links ]

NARR, K.J. 1976. Cultural achievements of early man. (In Altner, G. & Hofer, H. Die Sonderstellung des Menschen. Stuttgart: Fischer. p. 98-152.         [ Links ])

SEERVELD, C.G. 1968. A Christian critique of art and literature. Toronto: The Association for Reformed Scientific Studies.         [ Links ]

SEERVELD, C.G. 1979. Modal aesthetics: preliminary questions with and opening hypothesis. (In Kraay, J. & Tol, A., eds. Hearing and doing: philosophical essays dedicated to H.E. van Runner. Toronto: Wedge Publishing Foundation. p. 263-294.         [ Links ])

SEERVELD, C.G. 1980. Rainbows for the fallen world: aesthetic life and aesthetic task. Toronto: Tuppence.         [ Links ]

SEERVELD, C.G. 2001. Christian aesthetic bread for the world. Philosophia reformata, 66(2):155-177.         [ Links ]

STRAUSS, D.F.M. 2009. Philosophy: discipline of the disciplines. Grand Rapids: Paideia.         [ Links ]

THOMAS AQUINAS. 1964. Summa theologica. Latin text and English translation, introductions, notes, appendices, and glossaries. New York, McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

VAN NIEKERK, A. 1993. Rasionaliteit en relativisme: op soek na 'n rasionaliteitsmodel vir die menswetenskappe. Red. deur J. Mouton. Pretoria: HSRC. (Studies in research methodology.         [ Links ])

VERBURG, P.A. 1951. Enkele lijnen en feiten in de ontwikkeling der taaltheorie. (In Zuidema, S.U. & Popma, K.J. Wetenschappelijke bijdragen door de leerlingen van Dr. D.H. Th. Vollenhoven, aangeboden ter gelegenheid van zijn 25-jarig hoogleraarschap aan de Vrije Universiteit. Franeker: Wever. p. 13-32.         [ Links ])

ZUIDERVAART, L. 1995. Fantastic things: critical notes towards a social ontology of the arts. Philosophia reformata, 60:37-54.         [ Links ]