The propositional meaning of metaphor: A critical review against the Davidsonian approach

Abstract

The non-cognitive content account by Donald Davidson ascribes metaphor to the domain of use and asserts that metaphors only have literal meanings. We argue that the Davidsonian approach cannot elucidate the way information is conveyed. Davidson and his supporters’ arguments fail to capture the nature of similes and dead metaphors. From their perspective, metaphor understanding is attributed merely to its aesthetic aspect. We contend that metaphors can not only evoke experience but also communicate knowledge. We address the deficiency of the Davidsonian account through dead metaphor, simile and aesthetic properties. Structure mapping theory and research on embodiment can provide novel insights into the meaning-construction underlying metaphor comprehension. Emphasizing the cognitive account, we posit a paradigm of proposition construction procedure underpinning metaphor comprehension.