Summary of a Theory for Metaphor by Aloysius Martinich Essay Example

hand, a person who utters sentences metaphorically aims to tell the truth – a metaphorical truth. To support this, he discussed the conversational maxims (from Grice) wherein he stressed the importance of the maxim of quality, in his theory for metaphors. The maxim of quality states, “do not say what is false”. Martinich claims that metaphors do not violate, but simply flouts the maxim of quality. It must be understood that though a metaphorical proposition is false, but what the speaker say or imply thru metaphors is always true.

Once the audience apprehends that the speaker is only making-as-if-to-say something, “it is then they will be able to begin calculating the actual content of what the speaker has signified”, according to Martinich. It is also important that the speaker believe that his audience are able to pick out what he is trying to signify in his implication. The audience and the speaker should be able to think in almost the same way – “it must be possible for the audience to determine which properties of the metaphorical term the speaker is thinking of and which the speaker thinks that the audience will think that the speaker thinks the audience will think of”. It is through these salient properties that the metaphorical truth can be comprehended.

In determining metaphorical truth, it is important to note that the context of the metaphorical utterance and the properties intended are only those that contribute to a true conclusion, that is, what the speaker intends to tell. A metaphor should be placed within a pragmatic theory, since its meaning depends on the context of its use.

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