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Theories of Metaphor in Discourse > Contemporary Theories of Metaphor

Background Papers

The four background papers cover some of the major ideas currently active in the field of metaphor. The first paper, Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), summarises the view of metaphor that has dominated the field since the 1980s, replacing earlier views that saw metaphor as decorative or literary use of language. The other three present recent responses and challenges to this theory.

All approaches share the idea that metaphor involves two concepts or conceptual domains: the Topic (or Target), which is what is being spoken or written about, and the Vehicle (or Source), which is used metaphorically to speak or write about the Topic. The Vehicle (or Source) is distinct from the Topic and its use influences how the Topic is understood.

The theories differ in which aspects of metaphor they emphasis and in their proposals for how metaphor works. CMT (1) emphasises the conceptual, downplaying the language that people actually use. Context-Limited Simulation Theory (CLS - 3) prioritises thoughts and emotions attached to the Vehicle or Source concept and language, seeing these as key to metaphorical meaning. Lexical Concepts and Cognitive Models Theory (LCCM - 4) does something similar, with the idea of ‘cognitive models’ appearing to be more or less the same as ‘networks of perceptual simulators’. CMT takes a broad view of metaphor, including those conventionalized into language and thought; LCCM rejects all but the strongest Topic / Vehicle contrasts as being metaphorical. The Discourse Dynamics Framework (2) attempts to explain how these variations can be connected into a single framework that takes account of language in use.

Other theories of, and around, metaphor that are widely referenced in the field include (with key names):

Class Inclusion theory of metaphor (Glucksberg & Keysar)

Conceptual Blending (Fauconnier & Turner)

Metaphor as Analogy (Gentner)

Primary metaphor theory (Grady)