Definition and Examples of Ontological Metaphor

An ontological metaphor is a type of metaphor (or figurative comparison) in which something concrete is projected onto something abstract. Ontological metaphor (a figure that provides ways of viewing events, activities, emotions, ideas, etc., as entities and substances) is one of the three overlapping categories of conceptual metaphors identified by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in Metaphors We Live By (1980). The other two categories are structural metaphor and orientational metaphor. Ontological metaphors  are  so natural and persuasive in our thought, say Lakoff and Johnson, that they are usually taken as self-evident, direct descriptions of mental phenomena. Indeed, they say, ontological metaphors are among the most basic devices we have for comprehending our experience. What is an Ontological Metaphor? In general, ontological metaphors enable us to see more sharply delineated structure where there is very little or none ... We can perceive of personification as a form of ontological metaphor. In personification, human qualities are given to nonhuman entities. Personification is very common in literature, but it also abounds in everyday discourse, as the examples below show: His theory explained to me the behavior of chickens raised in factories.Life has cheated me.Inflation is eating up our profits.Cancer finally caught up with him.The computer ​ went dead on me. Theory, life, inflation, cancer, computer are not humans, but they are given qualities of human beings, such as explaining, cheating, eating, catching up, and dying. Personification makes use of one of the best source domains we have--ourselves. In personifying nonhumans as humans, we can begin to understand them a little better.(Zoltà ¡n Kà ¶vecses, Metaphor: A Practical Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2002) Lakoff and Johnson on the Various Purposes of Ontological Metaphors   Ontological metaphors serve various purposes, and the various kinds of metaphors there are reflect the kinds of purposes served. Take the experience of rising prices, which can be metaphorically viewed as an entity via the noun inflation. This gives us a way of referring to the experience: INFLATION IS AN ENTITYInflation is lowering our standard of living.If theres much more inflation, well never survive.We need to combat inflation.Inflation is backing us into a corner.Inflation is taking its toll at the checkout counter and the gas pump.Buying land is the best way of dealing with inflation.Inflation makes me sick. In these cases, viewing inflation as an entity allows us to refer to it, quantify it, identify a particular aspect of it, see it as a cause, act with respect to it, and perhaps even believe that we understand it. Ontological metaphors like this are necessary for even attempting to deal rationally with our experiences.(George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live By. The University of Chicago Press, 1980) Mere Metaphors and Ontological Metaphors Within metaphor, a distinction can be drawn between mere and ontological metaphor; whereas the former simply associates a physical concept with a metaphysical one, the latter recognizes that all concepts resonate with possible transpositions and, as such, brings to the fore the world-making power of speaking. Furthermore, ontological metaphor structures experience as an openness to . . . movement between concepts.(Clive Cazeaux, Kant, Cognitive Metaphor and Continental Philosophy. Routledge, 2007)

The Conflict between the Allies and the Axis - 1071 Words

The conflict between the Allies and the Axis was a horrific and deadly one, which consisted of genocide and mass bombings. Innocent citizens were killed with the estimated sixty million casualties, which lead to the question as to the morality of the different actors—Germany, Japan, England and America— in WWII. In order to truly assess their guilt, meaning their moral innocence, each country will be measured upon the morality of their intent and execution of the different controversial mass killings that Germany (the Holocaust), Japan (Nanking), and the Allied forces (Dresden and Hiroshima) took part in. This hierarchy of evil can be judged upon how Japan’s tyranny and the Allies’ area bombing compare to the genocide performed by Germany. Similarly, these countries will be judged on the whether these different acts were premeditated versus in response to another act, as well as the proportionality to which these acts were carried out. This measurement o f evil places each party on an overall scale, which depicts the total guilt that each country or countries deserve. WWII exemplifies that while war is an unavoidable aspect of human nature, there is no such thing as a just war. Similarly, while there is a definite hierarchy of morality between the different actors of WWII, each of the countries at play are immoral in their intent and execution of the attacks on opposing countries. The Holocaust is known as the single most gruesome and disturbing genocide to date. Germany’sShow MoreRelatedAsses the Significance of the North African Campaign to the Allied Victory in the European War1095 Words   |  5 PagesConflict in Europe Asses the significance of the conflict in North Africa to allied victory in the European war. Allied victory in the North African campaign is significant for allied victory in the European war. The campaign provided the allies with major strategic and economic advantages, boosted British morale and proved Anglo-American cooperation to be successful. Additionally, conflict in North Africa also diverted substantial German and Italian resources that were needed elsewhere, thusRead MoreA Brief Look at World War II686 Words   |  3 Pagesevery major power in the world, forming two military alliances called the Allies and the Axis. It was the most well-known war in history, and it involved more than 100 million people, from more than 30 different countries! 50 to 85 million victims were killed or severely injured due to the use of air power to bomb enemy cities and countries. All of these fatal contributions made World War II one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. It all started on September 1st, 1939 when GermanyRead MoreThe Roles Played by Different Countries during World War II1483 Words   |  6 Pages The World War II was fought between two major military alliances namely the axis powers and the allies. The Axis power was a group of countries led by Nazi Germany, kingdom of Italy and empire of Japan. The allies led by united kingdom were joined later on Soviet Union and United states of America. The allies were represented by republic of China in pacific. Let us have a closer look at these two millitary alliances. The Axis Power: Axis nations or axis countries were the one that foughtRead MoreWwii And The World War II953 Words   |  4 PagesWorld War II involved the vast majority of the world s nations consecutively between the years of 1939 and 1945. WWII altered the political alignment and social structure of the world. WWII began far before the invasion of Poland. Beginning with the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash together aggressively pushing Germany in despair for economic and political revival. With the defeat of WWI, by The Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to accept responsibility for the war damages, payingRead MoreThe Scarlett and the Black Essay972 Words   |  4 PagesGood vs. Evil Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.† During WWII, many horrific atrocities were committed by the Axis Powers, specifically Nazi Germany. Germany, Japan, and Italy represent the evil side of the war, while the Allied Powers consisting of Russia, France, and Britain represented the good side attempting to overcome the evil. More precisely, the two main characters in â€Å"The Scarlet and the Black†, ColonelRead MoreHistory Of The World. Arguement: Throughout All Of Human1642 Words   |  7 Pagestransportation. A major item traded between southern and sub-Saharan Africa was salt. The Columbian Exchange was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries, related to European colonization and trade after Christopher Columbus s 1492 voyage. Invasive species of flora and fauna and communicable diseases were a byproduct of the Exchange.The contact between the two areas circulated a wideRead MoreWorld War II : The Most Deadly Conflict Of All Of The Wars1395 Words   |  6 PagesI have decided to write about World War II, because it was the most deadly Conflict of all of the Wars that we have yet to witness. World War II dated from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945. World War II was fought in Europe, the Pacific, Atlantic, South-East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean and Northern Africa. It was a War between the Allied Nations and the Axis Nations. The Allied nations included mostly United States soldiers but also included soldiers from at least twelve differentRead MoreWorld War II And The Soviet Union1492 Words   |  6 Pages World War II, also known as: Second World War, a conflict that went on through the years 1935-1945. The Axis powers involved-Germany,Italy,and Japan. And the allies involved-France,Great Britain,United States,the Soviet Union,and China. After an uneasy 20-year hiatus, of the disputes left unsettled by World War I. The 40,000,000–50,000,000 deaths incurred in World War II make it the bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest war, in history. With World War I, in the 20th-Century geopoliticalRead MoreRedifining Presidency: Franklin Delano Roosevelt1270 Words   |  6 Pagesagainst them.† Roosevelt challenged Americans for increased support of Great Britain, one of their allies. The President also maintained a reassurance to the public of Americas willingness to deal with any threats to its nation. The responses of Franklin Roosevelt made him a defining figure in history towards the rise of Nazi Germany, military roles in Japan, and his pre-war efforts to weaken the axis powers. During the Second World War era, many Americans opposed the decision of an involvementRead MoreThe Attack On Pearl Harbor1615 Words   |  7 Pagesmistake of attacking America would lead to an event that would change the fate of World War II forever. Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of the Axis’ downfall with an attack that brought the United States into the war which affected Japan, Germany, and caused Japanese Americans to be mistreated throughout the war, jeopardizing the relationship between the two countries for decades to come. Japan made many smart decisions throughout the Second World War of 1939 to 1945, before and after they had

The Government should spend more money on providing free leisure facilities for teenagers free essay sample

I belive some teenagers nowadays don’t get enough attention. Their parents have long working hours and have some other problems in their everyday life. They don’t take time to talk with their children so they don’t really know what is happening with them. After school these youngsters have nothing to do. They hang out in gangs and they start committing crimes while their parents think they are at home. A possible solution would be that the government should provide free leisure facilities for teenagers so they could spend their time more effective. These teenagers vandalise telephone boots, bus stops and everything that is in their way. They have too much accumulated energy and they can’t channel them. For example private gyms and some sports are too expensive, so these free facilities could be sports which would help poor but talented young people and improve their health and fitness too. We will write a custom essay sample on The Government should spend more money on providing free leisure facilities for teenagers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some people say politicans in the government don’t know what teenagers enjoy and it would be better to spend these money on developing the country. But in my opinion, government has never spent enough money on teenagers, however they are the next generation, the people who will control our country in 15 years, so it is very important to give them well education and to make available free sport faculties and anything that could help in reducing their boredom which sometimes leads to unnecessary crimes. If the government would spend more money on these leisure facilities there would be less aimless teenagers on the streets and then they could grow up with more possibilites even if their parents can’t afford these.