Figuratively Speaking

by Robert J. Fogelin

Book by Fogelin, Robert J.

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Rhiannon Grant]

An interesting and readable book - the former common among philosophy texts, the latter unfortunately rare! Fogelin's discussion of his own understanding of metaphor (and related things like irony and synecdoche) is clear and his demolition of opposing arguments just and specific. I can't claim to have been persuaded by everything he says (for example, his dismissal of Lakoff and Johnston felt premature - his argument that they identify comparisons not metaphors, and therefore aren't saying anything very controversial, seems insufficient to the weight of the claims they make), but it's always a pleasure to be sure about exactly what one disagrees with. Overall, his defense of the Aristotelian position on metaphor is both lucid and convincing, not least because it acknowledges and draws on strengths in other positions when he finds them. In particular, he notes which examples of metaphor are best spoken to by which other available theories. The weakest section is probably at the end, where in an effort to keep the book very short he makes some suggestive remarks about fables and satire without going into enough detail to lay out his points with the clarity characteristic of the rest of the book. Overall, this gives it the feel of a jumping-off point for further thought, perhaps accepting and expanding his central theory, rather than a final conclusion on the topic.