Conceptual metaphor is what makes most abstract thought possible. Not only can it not be avoided, but it is not something to be lamented. On the contrary, it is the very means by which we are able to make sense of our experience. Conceptual metaphor is one of the greatest of our intellectual gifts.
—George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Philosophy in the Flesh (129)
Required Readings
- Weedon, Ch. 2: “Principles of Poststructuralism” (12 41)
- Lakoff and Johnson, Philosophy in the Flesh, Part I: Chapters 1-8 (3-5, 9-11, 16-37, 42-59, 60-61, 65-73, 77-78, 102-103, 128-129) [Moodle2]
- Wilshire, “The Uses of Myth, Image, and the Female Body in Re-visioning Knowledge” (in Jaggar and Bordo 92-113) [Moodle2]
- Hardman, “Gender Through the Levels” [Moodle2]
- Perry, “Cherokee Generative Metaphors” [Moodle2]
- Native Tongue: Chapters 6-8 (72-100)
Additional Resources
- Summary of Gender Through the Levels
- CogSci summary of Philosophy in the Flesh
- “Grasping Philosophy by the Roots”
- “A Talk with George Lakoff”
- Sample journal entry 1
- Sample journal entry 2
Other Works by These Authors
- Lakoff, George
Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things - Johnson, Mark
The Body in the Mind - Lakoff and Johnson
Metaphors We Live By
Due This Week
Weekly journal entry including main points from readings, major points about language treated by Elgin in Native Tongue, and observations about language from daily life. Include notes on the assignment below.
Think about how the concepts in Philosophy in the Flesh relate to M. J. Hardman’s linguistic postulates. Be able to explain the concept of primary metaphors and the relationship between metaphor and thinking.