Metaphor: Philosophical Issues

Lecture series introducing some of the main debates about metaphor in contemporary aesthetics and philosophy of language. No background in either philosophy of language or aesthetics is required. Questions considered include: Are there some thoughts that can only be expressed in metaphor? Why do we speak metaphorically, especially in describing how things look, sound, taste and smell? How do metaphors get the special meaning or content they have? And do metaphors have a non-literal meaning or content at all?

Episodes

4. Metaphor and Art (Other Resource)

July 4, 2011

James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses the use of metaphor to describe music and other artworks. He discusses Christopher Peacocke's views on the expression of emotion in music, as well as Roger Scruton's view that hearing music involves metaphor.

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4. Metaphor and Art

July 4, 2011 • 50 mins

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3. Speaking in Metaphor (Other Resource)

July 4, 2011

James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses the question of how we succeed in communicating to others with metaphor. He also examines the question of whether all metaphors can be paraphrased.

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3. Speaking in Metaphor

July 4, 2011 • 51 mins

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2. How Metaphors Mean (Other Resource)

July 4, 2011

James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses different theories about what gives metaphors the special meaning or content they have.

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2. How Metaphors Mean

July 4, 2011 • 53 mins

James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, discusses different theories about what gives metaphors the special meaning or content they have.

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1. What Metaphors Mean (Other Resource)

July 4, 2011

James Grant, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Oxford, introduces some of the key concepts in discussions of metaphor in the philosophy of language. He then discusses Donald Davidson's very influential and very controversial paper, 'What Metaphors Mean'. Davidson argues that a metaphor means exactly what the words of the sentence mean when taken literally, and nothing more.

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1. What Metaphors Mean

July 4, 2011 • 54 mins

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