Abstract

In this paper I explore the question: Can what is said metaphorically be said literally? I provide a qualified affirmative answer to this question. However I also suggest that although a paraphrase can be provided which satisfactorily conveys the cognitive content of the metaphor, the paraphrase is unable to provide the insight which the metaphor did. I go on to argue that the tendency to take an ex post facto view of metaphor obscures the central role which metaphor plays in concept formation.