The Logic of Metaphor

Analogous Parts of Possible Worlds

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

  • 1. Metaphors and Logic
  • 2. Metaphor and Possible Worlds Semantics
    • 2.1 Logical Truth-Conditions for Metaphors
    • 2.2 Analogical Access and Counterparts
  • 3. Analogical Counterparts
    • 3.1 Hobbes's Analogy A STATE IS AN ORGANISM
    • 3.2 Swanson's Analogy THE CELL IS A FACTORY
  • 4. Theory-Constitutive Metaphors
    • 4.1 Some Different Kinds of Metaphors
    • 4.2 Explication of Theory-Constitutive Metaphors
    • 4.3 Examples of Theory-Constitutive Metaphors
    • 4.4 Analogical Inferences to Existence
  • 5. Analyzing Metaphors
    • 5.1 Literal and Metaphorical Meanings
    • 5.2 Meanings and Contexts
    • 5.3 Stories as Contexts for Metaphors
    • 5.4 Descriptions as Contexts for Metaphors
    • 5.5 Shared Syntactical Patterns of Descriptions
    • 5.6 Shared Objective Patterns of Situations
    • 5.7 Analogical Truth-Conditions for Metaphors
      • 5.7.1 "Juliet is the sun"
      • 5.7.2 "Her lips are cherries"
      • 5.7.3 "Sally is a block of ice"
  • 6. Philosophical Application of the Computer
  • Appendix 1.1: Sample Metaphorical Texts
    • 1. Augustine: Memory as Stomach
    • 2. Newton: Sound and Light
    • 3. Kant: Human Action
    • 4. Kant: The State
    • 5. Schopenhauer: Experience
  • Appendix 1.2: Analogical Inferences to Existence
    • 1. Argument by Analogy for Other Minds
    • 2. Argument by Analogy for the Existence of God
    • 3. Argument by Analogy for Imaginary Boolean Values
    • 4. Argument by Analogy for the Null Individual
    • 5. Argument by Analogy for Luminiferous Ether

2. Language

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Languages
    • 2.1 The Internal and External Languages
    • 2.2 Surface Structures and Deep Structures
    • 2.3 Literal and Metaphorical Meanings
    • 2.4 Context and Interpretation
  • 3. The Grammar of Metaphor
    • 3.1 Rewrite Rules
    • 3.2 Grammatical Classes of Metaphors
    • 3.3 Metaphorical Word-Combinations
    • 3.4 Marking Word-Combinations as Literal or Metaphorical
    • 3.5 Rewrite Rules for Making Metaphors
  • 4. Propositions
    • 4.1 The Predicate Calculus
    • 4.2 Aliing Thematic Roles to Propositions
    • 4.3 Aliing Indexes to Propositions
    • 4.4 Logical Space and Situations
    • 4.5 Analogous Situations in Logical Space
  • 5. Propositions as Networks
    • 5.1 Atomic Propositions as Networks
    • 5.2 Reference and Truth for Atomic Propositions
    • 5.3 Molecular Propositions as Networks
    • 5.4 Descriptions of Situations
  • 6. Conclusion
  • Appendix 2.1: Semantics
    • 1. The Extended Predicate Calculus
      • 1.1 Events and Occurrences
      • 1.2 Arguments for Occurrences
      • 1.3 Symbols in the Extended Predicate Calculus
      • 1.4 Relations in the Extended Predicate Calculus
      • 1.5 Models for the Extended Predicate Calculus
      • 1.6 Sample Simple Logical Space
    • 2. Situations
      • 2.1 Situations are Collections of Occurrences
      • 2.2 Sample Logical Space and Situation
      • 2.3 Graphs of Situations
    • 3. Semantics for the Extended Predicate Calculus
      • 3.1 Meaning Functions and Variable Assignments
      • 3.2 Truth-Values for Atomic Propositions
      • 3.3 Atomic Proposition Correspond to States-of-Affairs
      • 3.4 Truth-Values for Molecular Propositions
      • 3.5 Truth-Values for Quantified Propositions
      • 3.6 Truth-Values for Modal Propositions

3. Conceptual Structures

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. The Network of Concepts
  • 3. The Taxonomic Hierarchy of Types
  • 4. The Mereological Hierarchy of Types
  • 5. Taxonomic Hierarchy of Processes
  • 6. Contrastive Structures
  • 7. Symmetries in Networks
  • 8. Rules and Lexical Entailments
  • 9. Conceptual Fields
    • 9.1 Fields are Clusters of Concepts
    • 9.2 The Utility of Conceptual Fields
    • 9.3 Similarity Fields and Topical Fields
    • 9.4 How Metaphors Depend on Conceptual Fields
  • 10. Conclusion
  • Appendix 3.1: Sample Descriptions
    • 1. Descriptions as Input to NETMET
    • 2. Methods for Making Input for NETMET
    • 3. NETMET's Conceptual Network
    • 4. Descriptions and their Textual Origins
    • 5. Sample Descriptions
      • 5.1 The Description of Human Reproduction
      • 5.2 The Description of Intellectual Creativity
      • 5.3 The Description of Memory
      • 5.4 The Description of the Wax Tablet
      • 5.5 The Description of the Aviary
      • 5.6 The Description of the Atom
      • 5.7 The Description of the Solar System

4. Analogy

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Towards a Formal Theory of Analogy
    • 2.1 Formal Definition of Analogy
    • 2.2 Subsymbolic Analogies
    • 2.3 Synesthetic Analogies
  • 3. The Stages of Analogical Inference
  • 4. Analogical Access
    • 4.1 The Purpose of the Access Phase
    • 4.2 Analogical Access as a Kind of Plausible Inference
  • 5. Analog Retrieval by Constraint Satisfaction
    • 5.1 Plausible Inference via Constraint-Satisfaction in ARCS
    • 5.2 The Network in ARCS
    • 5.3 Arguments Used to Build an ARCS Network
    • 5.4 Running an ARCS Network
    • 5.5 Evaluation of ARCS
  • 6. The Access Phase in NETMET
    • 6.1 Generating the Target Field
    • 6.2 Finding the Indexes in the Target
    • 6.3 Collecting Target Predicates
    • 6.4 Finding Candidate Source Indexes
    • 6.5 Finding Candidate Source Fields
  • 7. Analogical Mapping
    • 7.1 The Analogical Mapping Function
    • 7.2 Analogical Mapping as a Kind of Plausible Inference
    • 7.3 Computing the Analogical Mapping Function
  • 8. Analogical Mapping by Constraint Satisfaction
    • 8.1 Generating Match Hypotheses
    • 8.2 Relations between Match Hypotheses
    • 8.3 Finding the Analogical Mapping Relation
    • 8.4 Running the Hypotheses Network
  • 9. Difficulties with Proportional Analogy
  • 10. A Structural Model of Analogical Mapping
    • 10.1 Structural Principles for Analogical Mapping
    • 10.2 Principles for Generating a Hypothesis Network
      • 10.2.1 The Principle of Proportional Analogy
      • 10.2.2 The Principle of Extension to Contrast Sets
      • 10.2.3 The Principle of Mereological Analogy
      • 10.2.4 The Principle of Extension to Properties
      • 10.2.5 The Principle of Extension to Covering Sets
      • 10.2.6 The Principle of Mutual Inconsistency
    • 10.3 Supplying External Activation to NETMET Hypothesis Nets
    • 10.4 Running NETMET Hypothesis Nets to Convergence
    • 10.5 Extracting a One-to-One Map
  • 11. Conclusion

5. Analogical Transference

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Analogical Transference
    • 2.1 The Mechanism of Analogical Transference
    • 2.2 The Analogical Transference Operator
    • 2.3 Aliing Novel Propositions to the Target
  • 3. Subsymbolic Analogical Transference
  • 4. An Extended Example of Analogical Transference
  • 5. Rules for Analogical Transference
    • 5.1 The Process of Analogical Transference
    • 5.2 Transference of Source Properties
    • 5.3 Transference of Source Features
    • 5.4 Transference of Source Relations and Processes
    • 5.5 Transference of Source Rules
  • 6. Analogical Transference and Induction
    • 6.1 Inductive Arguments
    • 6.2 Syntactic Form of Inductive Arguments by Similarity
    • 6.3 Syntactic Form of Inductive Arguments by Analogy
    • 6.4 The Problem of Inductive Support
    • 6.5 Determination in Inductive Arguments by Similarity
    • 6.6 Determination in Inductive Arguments by Analogy
    • 6.7 Inductive Support for Analogically Transferred Propositions
  • 7. Perfect Analogies
  • 8. Self-Mirroring Universes
    • 8.1 Analogous Situations within Possible Worlds
    • 8.2 Black's Dual Universe
    • 8.3 Infinite Two-Way Recurrence
    • 8.4 Royce's Perfect Map of England
  • 9. Conclusion
  • Appendix 5.1: Examples of Analogical Transference
    • 1. Transference in the SOCRATES IS A MIDWIFE Analogy
    • 2. Transference in the MEMORY IS A WAX TABLET Analogy
    • 3. Transference in the MEMORY IS AN AVIARY Analogy

6. Metaphorical Communication

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Generating Metaphorical Utterances
    • 2.1 From Analogies to Metaphors
    • 2.2 Rules for Generating Metaphors
      • 2.2.1 Noun-Identification Metaphors
      • 2.2.2 Noun-Predication Metaphors
      • 2.2.3 Noun-Identification Metaphors with Contrary Adjectives
      • 2.2.4 Noun-Identification Metaphors with Literally Predicated Adjectives
      • 2.2.5 Noun-Identification Metaphors with Functional Genitives
      • 2.2.6 Noun-Identification Metaphors with Mereological Genitives
      • 2.2.7 Simple Adjective-Predication Metaphors
      • 2.2.8 Complex Adjective-Predication Metaphors
      • 2.2.9 Verb-Predication Metaphors
      • 2.2.10 Verb-Predication Metaphors with Genitives
  • 3. From Metaphors to Analogies
    • 3.1 Literal and Metaphorical Interpretations
    • 3.2 Using the Core Schema to Interpret Metaphors
    • 3.3 Sample Algorithms for Filling the Core Schema
      • 3.3.1 Verb-Predication Metaphors
      • 3.3.2 Noun-Identification Metaphors with Genitive Phrases
      • 3.3.3 Noun-Identification Metaphors
      • 3.3.4 Noun-Predication Metaphors
    • 3.4 From the Core Schema to its Analogy
    • 3.5 An Extended Application of the Core Schema
    • 3.6 Finding the Analogies in Larger Texts
  • 4. Conclusion

7. Analogy and Truth

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Truth-Conditions for Analogies
    • 2.1 Truthful Metaphors based on Truthful Analogies
    • 2.2 Analogy Completion: The Miller Analogies Test
    • 2.3 Truth-Conditions for Analogies
  • 3. Logical Paraphrases for Metaphors
    • 3.1 Literal and Metaphorical Meanings
    • 3.2 Simple Analogical Truth-Conditions
      • 3.2.1 Noun-Identifications
      • 3.2.2 Noun-Identifications with Prepositional Phrases
      • 3.2.3 Verb-Predications
    • 3.3 Trivial Satisfactions of Analogical Truth-Conditions
  • 4. Rules for Assigning Truth-Values to Metaphors
    • 4.1 Metaphor and Modality
    • 4.2 Truth-Conditions based on Analogical Counterparts
      • 4.2.1 Individual-Individual Identification
      • 4.2.2 Sortal-Sortal Identification
      • 4.2.3 Individual-Sortal Predication
      • 4.2.4 Individual-Property Predication
      • 4.2.5 Property-Property Predication
      • 4.2.6 Source Relation with Target Arguments
      • 4.2.7 Source Relation with Target and Source Arguments
    • 4.3 Metaphorical Existence Problems
  • 5. Metaphorical Identity is Relative Indiscernibility
    • 5.1 Relative Indiscernibility
    • 5.2 Analogy Metaphors as Relative Indiscernibilities
    • 5.3 Similarity Metaphors as Relative Indiscernibilities
  • 6. Conclusion
  • Appendix 7.1: Intensional Semantics for Metaphors
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. Logical Space
    • 3. Permutations of Particulars
    • 4. Equivalence of Situations
    • 5. Isomorphism of Situations
    • 6. Analogy of Situations
    • 7. Intensional Semantics for Analogies
    • 8. Analogical Truth-Conditions for Metaphors
    • 9. Functions from Situation-Pairs to Truth-Values

8. Metaphor and Inference

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Metaphor and Inference
    • 2.1 Forward and Backward Inference
    • 2.2 Inference in Metaphor Interpretation
    • 2.3 Inference to the Best Literal Paraphrase
    • 2.4 Inference in Metaphor Justification
  • 3. Metaphor Justification
    • 3.1 Metaphors as Hypotheses
    • 3.2 Abductive Logics for (Dis)confirmation of Hypotheses
    • 3.3 Syntactic and Semantic Constraints on Abductive Arguments
    • 3.4 Abductive Arguments for Metaphorical Propositions
    • 3.5 The Transference of Source (In)Coherence Relations
    • 3.6 Cognitive Meaningfulness for Metaphors
  • 4. Metaphor Interpretation
    • 4.1 The Black-Tourangeau Metaphor Interpretation Method
    • 4.2 Computation of Implication Complexes
    • 4.3 Transference by Deduction & Abduction
    • 4.4 A Historical Example of Black's Procedure
    • 4.5 Entailments of Verb-Predication Metaphors
    • 4.6 Common Abstract Entailments and Logical Paraphrases
  • 5. Conclusion

9. Lexical Meanings

  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Definitions for Metaphorical Predicates
    • 2.1 Operational Definitions
    • 2.2 Open Lists of Partial Definitions
    • 2.3 Definitions for Concepts in Natural Lexicons
    • 2.4 From Approximate Meanings to New Definitions
  • 3. Metaphors Based on Perfect Analogies
  • 4. Inference to the Best Definition
    • 4.1 Metaphor Interpretation via Common Abstract Entailments
    • 4.2 Metaphor Interpretation via Implication and Explanation
  • 5. Informative Truth-Conditions
    • 5.1 From Counterparts to Meaning Postulates
    • 5.2 Truth-Conditions and Confirmation-Conditions for Metaphors
  • 6. Metaphors Based on Imperfect Analogies
    • 6.1 First Application of the Deduction-Abduction Technique
    • 6.2 Second Application of the Deduction-Abduction Technique
  • 7. Conclusion

10. Conclusion

11. References