Metaphor and Meaning

<p><b>Examines questions of cosmos society and self through the metaphors and language of ancient Chinese texts and artifacts.</b></p><p>In <i>Metaphor and Meaning</i> scholars from China the United States and Europe draw on Sarah Allan's groundbreaking application of conceptual metaphor theory to the study of early Chinese philosophy and material culture. Conceptual metaphor theory treats metaphors not just as linguistic expressions but as fundamental structures of thought that define one's conceptual system and perception of reality. To understand another culture's worldview then hinges upon identifying the right metaphors through which it then becomes possible to navigate between shared and unshared experiences. The contributors pursue lines of argument that complement enhance or challenge Allan's prior investigations into these root metaphors of early Chinese philosophy whether by explicitly engaging with conceptual metaphor theory or more indirectly by addressing meaning construction in a broader sense. Like Allan's interpretative works <i>Metaphor and Meaning</i> interrogates both transmitted traditions and newly unearthed archaeological finds to understand how people in early China thought about the cosmos society and themselves.</p>