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Quote by Max Black

“No doubt metaphors are dangerous- and perhaps especially so in philosophy. But a prohibition against their use would be a willful and harmful restriction upon our powers of inquiry.”

Quote by Max Black

Author

Max Black

Max Black (February 24, 1909 - August 27, 1988) was a prominent philosopher known for his work in the fields of philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics. He is renowned for his profound insights into language and logic, and his writings have had a significant impact on subsequent philosophers. more

“... I still wish to contend that some metaphors enable us to see aspects of reality that the metaphor's production helps to constitute. But that is no longer surprising if one believes that the world is necessarily a world under a certain description - or a world seen from a certain perspective.”

Ifs World Believe Stills Helping Reality Certain Wish Perspective Aspect Metaphor Productions Description Surprising

Book:Perplexities: Rational Choice, the Prisoner's Dilemma, Metaphor, Poetic Ambiguity, and Other Puzzles

Source: Perplexities: Rational Choice, the Prisoner's Dilemma, Metaphor, Poetic Ambiguity, and Other Puzzles

“In the simplest formulation, when we use a metaphor we have two thoughts of different things active together and supported by a single word, or phrase, whose meaning is a resultant of their interaction.”

Two Different Use Together Metaphor Active Phrases Different Things Interaction Simplest Single Word

Author:I. A. Richards

“Thought is metaphoric, and proceeds by comparison, and the metaphors of language derive therefrom.”

Language Metaphor Comparison Metaphoric

Author:I. A. Richards

“The ups and downs of this cosmos may sometimes be acknowledged to be metaphorical ups and downs, but until about Newton's time most people took the "up" of heaven and the "down" of hell to be more or less descriptive.”

People May Sometimes Heaven Hell Cosmos Newton Ups & Downs Metaphorical