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Metaphors and Paradigms of the Language Animal—or—The Advantage of seeing “Time Is a Resource” as a Paradigm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

GESCHE KEDING
GESCHE KEDING*
Affiliation:
Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena
*
*<gesche.keding@uni-jena.de>
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Abstract

One of the features of an encompassing account of language that Charles Taylor examines in Chapter Five, “The Figuring Dimension of Language,” of The Language Animal is a special kind of metaphor, which is rooted in the embodiment of humans. Their perspective-taking, their intuition of position in space, etc., provide ‘structural templates’ for thinking and leave their traces in their expressions. Taylor compares these metaphors with paradigms. My paper discusses the differences between the two. Taylor’s example ‘Time Is a Resource’ is understood more deeply if seen as a paradigm, i.e., a set of beliefs and practices, instead of as a ‘structural template,’ i.e., rooted in embodiment.

L’une des possibilités de «la dimension figurative du langage» que Charles Taylor examine au chapitre 5 de The Language Animal est un type particulier de métaphore ancré dans le corps humain. La perspective que les humains adoptent ou, par exemple, l’intuition de leur position dans l’espace fournissent des modèles structurels pour penser et laissent des traces dans nos expressions. Taylor compare ces métaphores à des paradigmes. Dans cet article, je traite des différences entre les deux. L’exemple du «temps comme ressource» mis en évidence par Taylor, ainsi que ses implications, sont mieux compris s’ils sont envisagés comme paradigme, c’est-à-dire comme un ensemble de croyances et de pratiques plutôt que comme un modèle structurel ancré de façon durable dans des corps.

Keywords

embodimentmetaphorstructural templatefiguring elements of languageparadigmtimeCharles Taylor
Type
Special Issue: Charles Taylor’s The Language Animal
Information
Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review / Revue canadienne de philosophie , Volume 56 , Issue 4 , December 2017 , pp. 693 - 704
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Philosophical Association 2017 

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