Open AccessCognitive-methodological functions of metaphors
Author(s) -
Marek Hetmański
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
argument
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2084-1043
pISSN - 2083-6635
DOI - 10.24917/20841043.11.1.5
Subject(s) - metaphor , embodied cognition , cognition , cognitive linguistics , cognitive science , psychology , george (robot) , gesture , epistemology , linguistics , sociology , computer science , philosophy , artificial intelligence , neuroscience
The paper analyzes the cognitive functions of metaphors present in both colloquial and scientific discourse. First, presented is the history of research into linguistic metaphors, followed by a discussion of the psycholinguistic turn towards metaphors as thought schemas (George Lakoff and Mark Johnson), as well as metaphoricality embodied in gestures, images and behaviors and their socio-cultural contexts. Based on the analysis of metaphors in the natural sciences, mainly in physics (Max Black, Mary Hesse, Thomas Kuhn) as well as in psychology (Douwe Draaisma), the heuristic and methodological functions of metaphors in science are discussed. Finally, on this basis, a general model of the cognitive functions of metaphor is constructed in which, apart from the cognitive communicative functions, emphasized are also the pragmatic aspects of metaphorical thinking.