The workshop “Figuration as a Line of Argument. From Modern Theories to Ancient Texts” aims at the description of the function of metaphorical language in ancient argumentative texts, in dialogue with modern linguistics (particularly discourse- and cognition-based theories relating to metaphor and argumentation). By increasing our awareness of the methods of investigating metaphors we hope to ameliorate our understanding of metaphors in texts that often employ more than usual creative and idiosyncratic figurative language to establish controversial claims or substantiate contested ethical norms.
Case studies from a range of ancient authors, texts and genres thus serve this double purpose of illustrating these insights from modern linguistics, and likewise contribute to the linguistic problem by providing fruitful new perspectives on specific ancient texts. These studies will highlight the modes in which ancient authors – ranging from tragedy, ancient philosophy and religious discourse to Roman historiography – employ metaphor to legitimise novel or highly debated ideas or to promote a certain life style for their intended audience.
Registration: Due to limited space, we ask you to confirm your participation at our workshop by May 15th, 2018 (contact: Geeske Brinkmann, dehlinge@hu-berlin.de ).
1.6.2018 | |
13:45 - 14:15 | Registration |
14:15 - 14:30 | Welcome and introduction |
14:30 - 16:00 | PANEL 1: THEORY AND METHOD |
14:30 - 15:15 | Metaphern und Textweltmodelle aus der Perspektive der kritischen Kognitionslinguistik Monika Schwarz-Friesel |
15:15 - 16:00 | Metaphors we feel by – emotion verbs in crosslinguistic perspective Silvia Kutscher |
16:00 - 16:30 | Coffee break |
16:30 - 17:15 | Non-literal uses of motion verbs in Ancient Greek: Constructional and cultural motivations in semantic extension Thanasis Georgakopoulos Kiki Nikiforidou Anna Piata Stathis Selimis |
17:15 - 18:00 | Metaphor identification procedures and texts from the ancient world Arguments for and against Camilla Di Biase-Dyson |
18:15 - 19:00 | Evening Lecture: Metapher als Modus der Irritation und Insinuation Strategien der Informationsvergabe in Tacitus' historiographischen Schriften Therese Fuhrer |
19:30 - 21:00 | Conference Dinner |
2.6.2018 | |
09:00 - 12:30 | PANEL 2: THE ROLE OF METAPHOR IN ARGUMENT: CASE STUDY 1 - ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY |
09:00 - 09:45 | Metaphor in Stoic and popular-philosophical argumentation Johan Thom |
09:45 - 10:30 | Bildhafte Rede und Ontologie Zur theo-ontologisch grundgelegten Rhetorik im Neuen Testament und im kaiserzeitlichen Platonismus Rainer Hirsch-Luipold |
10:30 - 11:00 | Coffee break |
11:00 - 11:45 | The Body as Metaphor: The Structure of a Human and the Meaning of Scripture Gregory Sterling |
11:45 - 12:30 | Metaphors for the Mind in early Greek Philosophy Chiara Ferella |
12:30 - 13:30 | Lunch break |
13:30 - 15:00 | PANEL 3: THE ROLE OF METAPHOR IN ARGUMENT: CASE STUDY 2 - ANCIENT LITERARY TEXTS |
13:30 - 14:15 | Metaphor and reasoning in Greek tragedy Michael Carroll |
14:15 - 15:00 | Thinking with Style: On Arguments with Metonymy Sebastian Matzner |
15:00 - 15:15 | Coffee break |
15:15 - 16:45 | PANEL 4: THE ROLE OF METAPHOR IN ARGUMENT: CASE STUDY 3 - EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE |
15:15 - 16:00 | Metaphor in Argument The Beelzebul-controversy in the Gospel according to Mark Cilliers Breytenbach |
16:00 - 16:45 | 'Contested bodies of Christ-believers' – Paul’s use of metaphors for illegitimate passion and self-restraint in the arguments of 1-2 Corinthians Geeske Brinkmann |
16:45 - 17:00 | Concluding remarks |