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Single Idea 7775
[filed under theme 19. Language / F. Communication / 6. Interpreting Language / d. Metaphor
]
Full Idea
Understanding a metaphor is as much a creative endeavour as making a metaphor, and as little guided by rules.
Gist of Idea
Understanding a metaphor is a creative act, with no rules
Source
Donald Davidson (What Metaphors Mean [1978], p.29)
Book Ref
'On Metaphor', ed/tr. Sacks,Sheldon [Chicago 1981], p.29
A Reaction
This is good news for literature studies courses. Davidson's point is that the metaphor itself only gives you a literal meaning, so it doesn't tell you how to interpret it. It seems an attractive proposal.
The
14 ideas
with the same theme
[using falsehoods to enhance understanding]:
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1692
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If you shouldn't argue in metaphors, then you shouldn't try to define them either
[Aristotle]
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7775
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Understanding a metaphor is a creative act, with no rules
[Davidson]
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7776
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Metaphors just mean what their words literally mean
[Davidson]
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7777
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We accept a metaphor when we see the sentence is false
[Davidson]
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19161
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We indicate use of a metaphor by its obvious falseness, or trivial truth
[Davidson]
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8861
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Hardly a word in the language is devoid of metaphorical potential
[Yablo]
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18024
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One theory says metaphors mean the same as the corresponding simile
[Magidor]
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18023
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Theories of metaphor divide over whether they must have literal meanings
[Magidor]
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18025
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The simile view of metaphors removes their magic, and won't explain why we use them
[Magidor]
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18026
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Maybe a metaphor is just a substitute for what is intended literally, like 'icy' for 'unemotional'
[Magidor]
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18028
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Gricean theories of metaphor involve conversational implicatures based on literal meanings
[Magidor]
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18029
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Non-cognitivist views of metaphor says there are no metaphorical meanings, just effects of the literal
[Magidor]
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18022
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Metaphors tend to involve category mistakes, by joining disjoint domains
[Magidor]
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18027
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Metaphors as substitutes for the literal misses one predicate varying with context
[Magidor]
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