Synopses & Reviews
Both sides in controversies tend to argue they have logic on their side. This book proposes that the interminable nature of these controversies suggests there is a problem with the main tool of logic, the syllogism. Drawing on contemporary developments in social theory and philosophy, Stanley Raffel argues that metaphors are not just aesthetic tools; they can also be used to judge phenomena. Featuring case studies drawn from both literary material and current controversial debates,
The Method of Metaphor ultimately demonstrates the value of this neglected potential of metaphoric reasoning and shows its far-reaching implications in both moral behavior and moral education.
Synopsis
Habermas' recent work makes a major claim: to be able to determine what is the most rational thing to do. Postmodernists, notably Lyotard, have perhaps successfully belittled this claim as too positivistic. This book does not dispute the validity of the postmodern critique but it is concerned to resist the irrationality which, thus far, seems to coincide with anti-positivism. The author looks at the concept of justice, as one that is both essential to Habermas and Lyotard but is also utilized in their work only in constricted and unimaginative ways
About the Author
Stanley Raffel is an Honorary Fellow at Edinburgh University.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Metaphor in Dante
2 Metaphor in Fairy Tales
3 Sontags Critique of Metaphors
4 Abortion
5 Metaphors and the Issue of Incommensurability
6 Israel and Palestine
7 The Problem of Evil
8 Tragedy vs Comedy
9 Teaching
10 Oriented Action
11 Bad Metaphors
References