Our Metaphorical Bodies

This book offers a fresh examination of the significance of metaphorical thinking in comprehending human bodies and actions. It delves into numerous examples illustrating metaphor’s role in conceptualizing body parts, illnesses, and various mundane and artistic bodily performances, fostering a deeper appreciation for metaphor’s impact on human life. One key objective is to challenge the implicit dualism prevalent in much metaphor research, where the body is often considered in nonmetaphorical terms, with metaphors arising solely from cross-domain mappings involving abstract concepts. The book exposes the flaws in this traditional perspective, emphasizing the intrinsic connection between metaphor and understanding our bodies. Recognizing this connection is essential for grasping the extensive influence of metaphor across all realms of human cognition and behavior. Additionally, this book underscores cultural variations in how we conceptualize our bodies through metaphorical frameworks, enriching our understanding of diverse perspectives on bodily experiences.

Author Biography

Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr. is an independent cognitive scientist and former Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has authored numerous books on topics such as figurative thought, embodiment, and conceptual metaphor, including ‘The Poetics of Mind (1994), ‘ ‘Embodiment and Cognitive Science (2005), ‘ ‘Metaphor Wars (2019), ‘ and ‘Interpreting Figurative Meaning (2012).’ Additionally, he has served as editor of the ‘Cambridge Handbook of Metaphor and Thought’ and co-editor of the ‘Cambridge Handbook of Irony and Thought.’