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Metaphors We Live By

University Of Chicago Press

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A Case For Experientialism

This 1980 book by Lakoff (a linguist) and Johnson (a philosopher) represents an early effort in what they call "cognitive linguistics." In the authors' view, we live our lives according to our "conceptual" systems or systems of understanding. 'Meanings' are constructed by each of us in the course of our interactions with our environments which include our society and culture.

For Lakoff and Johnson, a major aspect of our conceptual systems consists of metaphor, not a matter of "mere language" but of "understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another."(p. 5) Metaphors such as "good is up" and "bad is down" have a natural basis in our biological experience. Lakoff and Johnson contend that metaphors permeate science, business, politics, and everyday life. Metaphors such as "argument is war" provide assumptive underpinnings for much of our actions. Awareness of such metaphors can help us live more consciously and creatively.

The authors use their view of metaphor to build a case for a philosophy of the human sciences which they call "experientialism." Experientialism rejects "objectivist" claims of absolute 'meaning' or 'truth' separate from human conceptual systems. It also rejects "subjectivist" accounts which deny any standards for agreement or belief other than personal preference. The authors recommend that we see human understanding as a function of our interactions with the world--somewhat plastic, somewhat constrained by the metaphors we life by.

Applicable to many disciplines

I read this book back in the 90s while I was studying psycho-linguistics as an undergrad and then grad student. My linguistic interest aptly augmented my interest for roles in information technology - implementation and management (ie communication principles, hierarchical, object-oriented, top-down, bottom-up, etc analysis and implementation are all good examples of applied abstraction, which plays a fundamental role in linguistic theory). Later, while giving a lecture on technical writing to a small group of grad students, I realized that this book would be the perfect tool to bridge the gap between the writing process and the technical subjects the students were writing about. Since the book was not initially on the reading list, but I felt passionate about its potential, I purchased a copy for each student. The results were typical - some students 'got it' and others, evidently, could not make the connection. The point being that the book offers suggestions and great examples of how language works and how people think - people who have a sense of abstraction will be able to apply this book to almost any discipline. Currently, while involved in programming and numerical analysis for integration of IT projects, I still see myself thinking in terms of metaphor and realize how greatly they do impact and affect the way we live. This book goes a long way to frame the basics.

25 Years Afterwards

This book is exciting because, in addition to the original "Metaphors We Live By" it contains a 30 page Afterword by the authors, George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, written 25 years afterward. They track effects of their original revolutionary thinking on several different domains of discourse. They also mention one theoretical aspect of their theory of metaphors that, in retrospect, they would modify. This book is a must-have in a cognitive science library, along with Lakoff and Johnson's later books, written together and separately. "Philosophy in the Flesh" is especially notable for its further collaboration of Lakoff and Johnson, a linguist and a philosopher.

Great book to get you thinking about everyday language

This was a great book. It's subject is how metaphors are not merely a poetic device, but a way of thinking that people use everyday and aren't even aware that they are doing it.

If you're interested in linguistics or philosophy or even psychology and sociology (or, like me, literature and math), then pick this one up as a great introduction to this creative topic.

A little obvious

The book's focus is on the fact that many of the sayings we use in daily life can be seen as metaphors for more literal explanations. For example it takes a chapter to explain how we feel that "up" is "good" and "down" is "bad." It is not really a book for reading. It is a philosophical look at language. If you like 200 pages of explaining how the saying "You're the top" is a metaphor for about the top being better than the bottom than this is the book for you.