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Single Idea 18023

[filed under theme 19. Language / F. Communication / 6. Interpreting Language / d. Metaphor ]

Full Idea

There are theories of metaphors that require them to have literal meanings in order to achieve their metaphorical purpose, and those that do not.

Gist of Idea

Theories of metaphor divide over whether they must have literal meanings

Source

Ofra Magidor (Category Mistakes [2013], 3.5)

Book Ref

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.67

A Reaction

I take almost any string of proper language to have literal meaning (for compositional reasons), even if the end result is somewhat ridiculous. 'Churchill was a lion' obviously has literal meaning. And so does 'Churchill was a transcendental number'.

The 14 ideas with the same theme [using falsehoods to enhance understanding]:

1692 If you shouldn't argue in metaphors, then you shouldn't try to define them either [Aristotle]
7775 Understanding a metaphor is a creative act, with no rules [Davidson]
7776 Metaphors just mean what their words literally mean [Davidson]
7777 We accept a metaphor when we see the sentence is false [Davidson]
19161 We indicate use of a metaphor by its obvious falseness, or trivial truth [Davidson]
8861 Hardly a word in the language is devoid of metaphorical potential [Yablo]
18024 One theory says metaphors mean the same as the corresponding simile [Magidor]
18023 Theories of metaphor divide over whether they must have literal meanings [Magidor]
18025 The simile view of metaphors removes their magic, and won't explain why we use them [Magidor]
18026 Maybe a metaphor is just a substitute for what is intended literally, like 'icy' for 'unemotional' [Magidor]
18028 Gricean theories of metaphor involve conversational implicatures based on literal meanings [Magidor]
18029 Non-cognitivist views of metaphor says there are no metaphorical meanings, just effects of the literal [Magidor]
18022 Metaphors tend to involve category mistakes, by joining disjoint domains [Magidor]
18027 Metaphors as substitutes for the literal misses one predicate varying with context [Magidor]