Abstract
Even though metaphors might seem inappropriate to legal logical reasoning, they are quite a part of it. Although metaphor is non-literal and non-linear, nevertheless it is the essence of the modality of human thought. The way we think about law depends largely on metaphorical constructions. This means that we understand both the legal system as such and many formative ideas that operate in this system in metaphorical terms. The starting point for considerations is the cognitive theory of metaphor and its assumption of a constitutive nature of metaphor within our analytical framework. The aim of the article is to present the practical implementation of the theory in the field of legal communication. The author focuses on metaphorical construction of legal concepts, visualization of legal information and metaphorical legal reasoning.
Highlights
Linguist George Lakoff and philosopher Mark Johnson developed the theory of how metaphors work in analyzing the world and what it means to humans (Lakoff, Johnson, 1980)
The way we think about law depends largely on metaphorical constructions
This means that we understand both the legal system as such and the many formative ideas that work in this system metaphorically
Summary
Linguist George Lakoff and philosopher Mark Johnson developed the theory of how metaphors work in analyzing the world and what it means to humans (Lakoff, Johnson, 1980). Human cognition is largely determined by the ability to recognize, understand, and use metaphors. This in turn suggests that metaphors define who we are. By assigning the characteristics of the source concept to the target concept, we convey the meaning to the target concept, based on our own understanding of the attributes of the source concept. It is this account that conveys the meaning, not the words used. As a result, when we are faced with understanding a new or difficult concept, we try to cognitively associate an unknown concept with something we already know to make the new or difficult concept more
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