The Moral Metaphor System
A Conceptual Metaphor Approach
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:21st Jul '22
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This book investigates moral metaphors in English and Chinese, applying conceptual metaphor theory to a comparative study of the linguistic manifestation of the moral metaphor system rooted in the domains of bodily and physical experience. Ning Yu sheds light on the metaphorical nature of moral cognition and how it is systematically manifested in language, and explores the potential commonalities that define moral cognition in general, as well as the differences that characterize distinct cultures. The work investigates moral cognition at the cultural level as reflected in language, based on linguistic evidence from both English and Chinese and, to a limited extent, multimodal evidence from the corresponding cultures. The moral metaphor system is taken to consist of three major subsystems, referred to as "physical", "visual", and "spatial". These subsystems are clusters of conceptual metaphors, whose source concepts are from domains of embodied experiences in the physical world, and which are formulated in contrastive categories with bipolar values for the target concepts of moral and immoral. The study is characterized by two keywords: system and systematicity: The former refers to the fact that metaphors (conceptual and linguistic) are connected within networks, and the latter to the need for those metaphors to be studied in such networks.
The book holds a holistic perspective and offers an insightful and systemic approach to examining moral metaphors. It lays the foundation for further research on moral metaphors, making it an invaluable asset. Therefore, the book is highly recommended for those who are interested in this field. * Junqin Huang, Lu Li, Journal of Pragmatics *
Ning Yu's new book offers an insightful analysis of the metaphorical basis for moral reasoning. His compelling, and beautifully documented research, reveals the complex interactions between language, bodily experience and culture in the ways English and Chinese speakers think about morality through conceptual metaphors. The book will appeal to readers from many academic disciplines, and represents cognitive linguistics at its very best! * Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr., author of Metaphor Wars: Conceptual Metaphor in Human Life *
In his new book, Ning Yu continues his work on the issue of similarities and differences in metaphorical conceptualization across languages and cultures, this time focusing on morality. A major merit of the book is that it provides a fresh view on the moral metaphor systems in English and Chinese, which brings to light previously undiscovered facets of the domain. This is a must read for anyone interested in the conception of morality as such, its cross-cultural aspects, and conceptual metaphor theory in general. * Zoltán Kövecses, Eötvös Loránd University *
ISBN: 9780192866325
Dimensions: 241mm x 165mm x 24mm
Weight: 666g
326 pages