scholarly journals The wheel of time: How abstract concepts emerge

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Joanna Jurewicz
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Cognitive Models ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Philosophical Thinking ◽  
Rational Nature

The aim of the paper is to show how conceptual metonymy, metaphor and blending, as discussed in cognitive linguistics, can be used in the investigation on the beginning of abstraction in philosophical thinking. The analysis is based on selected stanzas from the Ṛgveda (ca. 13th BC), the Atharvaveda (ca. 10-9th BC) and the Mahābhārata (ca. 4th BC - 4th AD) composed in Sanskrit. I discuss how the notion of riding in a chariot, used in the earliest texts for expressing ontological, epistemological and ritual issues, is transformed into an abstract concept of the wheel to express the concept of time. The use of cognitive models allows showing the conscious and rational nature of this transformation performed by the early Indian thinkers, and thus qualifies as a form of philosophy.

DYING IS HARD TO DESCRIBE: METONYMIES AND METAPHORS OF DEATH IN THEILIAD

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Horn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Epic Poem ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Battle Scenes

Homer'sIliadis an epic poem full of war and battles, but scholars have noted that ‘[t]he Homeric poems are interested in death far more than they are in fighting’. Even though long passages of the poem, particularly the so-called ‘battle books’ (Il.Books 5–8, 11–17, 20–2), consist of little other than fighting, individual battles are often very short with hardly ever a longer exchange of blows. Usually, one strike is all it takes for the superior warrior to dispatch his opponent, and death occurs swiftly. The prominence of death in Homeric battle scenes raises the question of how and in which terms dying in battle is being depicted in theIliad: for while fighting can be described in a straightforward fashion, death is an abstract concept and therefore difficult to grasp. Recent developments in cognitive linguistics have ascertained that, when coping with difficult and abstract concepts, such as emotions, the human mind is likely to resort to figurative language and particularly to metaphors.

scholarly journals Drawing with Metaphors. Mediating ideational content in drawing through metaphors

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berit Ingebrethsen
Keyword(s):  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Visual Metaphors ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
Educational Issue ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Different Types ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
The Subject

It is not easy to express abstract concepts, such as time and society, in a drawing. The subject of this article is rooted in the educational issue of visually expressing themes represented by abstract concepts. However, it is possible to find means and devices to express such ideas. This article shows how metaphors can be used to express such ideas visually. Cognitive linguistic research argues that metaphors are crucial in the verbal communication of abstract concepts. This article also attempts to show that metaphors are important in visual communication. The cognitive linguistic metaphor theory of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson is used here to investigate how metaphors are used to construct meaning in the drawings of cartoonist and illustrator Finn Graff and artist Saul Steinberg. The article presents a few examples of how visual devices structure the abstract concept of time. It then proceeds to explain how symbols function as metonymies and provides an overview of the different types of metaphors and how they are used to express meaning in drawings. The article concludes by attempting to provide new insights regarding the use of visual metaphors.

The contribution of Herrero Ruiz’s Understanding Tropes to the interplay between Cognitive Linguistics and Pragmatics

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-221
Author(s):  
Pedro A. Fuertes Olivera
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Cognitive Models ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
The Creation

This article attempts to give a critical review of Javier Herrero Ruiz’s Understanding Tropes. At a Crossroads between Pragmatics and Cognition. It evaluates the book in view of the available literature dealing with the trend towards empiricism adopted by Cognitive Linguistics. It also focuses on the main hypothesis put forward, i.e., tropes such as irony, paradox, oxymoron, overstatement, understatement, euphemism, and dysphemism can be considered idealised cognitive models, and discusses the main contributions and arguments of the book, especially his idea that these idealised cognitive models are all constructed around the creation of contrast. A few concerns are also raised, mainly regarding corpus methodology. While these may have a negative impact on the reader, they are not severe enough to discredit the rigour with which the book was conceived.

scholarly journals Exploring Geometric Feature Hyper-Space in Data to Learn Representations of Abstract Concepts

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Sharma ◽  
Bernardete Ribeiro ◽  
Alexandre Miguel Pinto ◽  
F. Amílcar Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Training Data ◽  
Geometric Feature ◽  
Automatic Identification ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Concept Representation ◽  
Data Problem ◽  
Rans Modeling ◽  
Concrete Concepts

The term concept has been a prominent part of investigations in psychology and neurobiology where, mostly, it is mathematically or theoretically represented. Concepts are also studied in the computational domain through their symbolic, distributed and hybrid representations. The majority of these approaches focused on addressing concrete concepts notion, but the view of the abstract concept is rarely explored. Moreover, most computational approaches have a predefined structure or configurations. The proposed method, Regulated Activation Network (RAN), has an evolving topology and learns representations of abstract concepts by exploiting the geometrical view of concepts, without supervision. In the article, first, a Toy-data problem was used to demonstrate the RANs modeling. Secondly, we demonstrate the liberty of concept identifier choice in RANs modeling and deep hierarchy generation using the IRIS dataset. Thirdly, data from the IoT’s human activity recognition problem is used to show automatic identification of alike classes as abstract concepts. The evaluation of RAN with eight UCI benchmarks and the comparisons with five Machine Learning models establishes the RANs credibility as a classifier. The classification operation also proved the RANs hypothesis of abstract concept representation. The experiments demonstrate the RANs ability to simulate psychological processes (like concept creation and learning) and carry out effective classification irrespective of training data size.

Using abstract concepts in impact-focussed organisational research

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lugosi
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Business Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change In Practice ◽  
Organisational Research ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise and examine the processes through which abstract concepts, or abstractions, can be utilised in co-creating knowledge within “impact-focussed” organisational and business research, i.e. applied research that primarily seeks to promote change in practice rather than principally aiming to make theoretical contributions to academic debates. The paper uses the abstraction “hospitality” as an empirical example and discusses the techniques used to “operationalise” this concept, i.e. make it understandable for research participants enabling researchers to use it within data generation and the creation of practical insights in organisational enquiry. Design/methodology/approach The study employed two methods: first, participant-generated photos; and second, two interactive workshops with 38 practitioners where the abstract concept “hospitality” was used to generate practical organisational insights. Findings The paper distinguishes between four stages: the elaboration of abstraction, concretisation of abstraction, probing perspectives on abstraction and exploring experiences of abstraction. It is argued that utilising specific techniques within these four stages facilitates: recognisability: the extent to which organisational stakeholders understand the content and meanings of the abstraction; and relatability: the extent to which stakeholders appreciate how the abstract concepts are relevant to interpreting their own practices and experiences. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study, used to develop and refine elicitation techniques, rather than to draw definitive conclusions about the applicability of specific abstract concepts. Nevertheless, reflecting on the processes and techniques used in the utilisation of abstractions here can help to operationalise them in future impact-focussed research. Originality/value The paper conceptualises the processes through which abstract concepts can be made apprehendable for non-specialist, non-academic practitioners. In doing so, it discusses how various elicitation techniques support the utilisation of abstractions in generating insights that can support the development of constructive, context-specific practices in organisations and businesses.

scholarly journals Contributions of different prefrontal cortical regions to abstract rule acquisition and reversal in monkeys

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giancarlo La Camera ◽  
Sebastien Bouret ◽  
Barry J. Richmond
Keyword(s):  
Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical ◽  
Rule Acquisition ◽  
Learning Rules ◽  
Association Task ◽  
Abstract Rule ◽  
Cortical Regions

AbstractThe ability to learn and follow abstract rules relies on intact prefrontal regions including the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Here, we investigate the specific roles of these brain regions in learning rules that depend critically on the formation of abstract concepts as opposed to simpler input-output associations. To this aim, we tested monkeys with bilateral removals of either LPFC or OFC on a rapidly learned task requiring the formation of the abstract concept of same vs. different. While monkeys with OFC removals were significantly slower than controls at both acquiring and reversing the concept-based rule, monkeys with LPFC removals were not impaired in acquiring the task, but were significantly slower at rule reversal. Neither group was impaired in the acquisition or reversal of a delayed visual cue-outcome association task without a concept-based rule. These results suggest that OFC is essential for the implementation of a concept-based rule, whereas LPFC seems essential for its modification once established.

scholarly journals CONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF GERMAN AND HUNGARIAN IDIOMS

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
Ilona Lechner
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Cognitive Tools ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Mental Strain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Figurative Meaning ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
The Subject

The subject of the study is the examination of figurative meaning in Hungarian and German. In the present study, I present the interpretation of figurative meaning within the theoretical framework of cognitive linguistics by analysing idiomatic expressions in Hungarian and German on the example of the concept of ‘time’. In this contrastive research, I primarily look for the answer to how ordinary people use cognitive tools to grasp intangible abstract concepts such as ‘time’ and what connections can be observed between literal and figurative meaning. The examined Hungarian and German idioms are the linguistic manifestations of the conceptual metaphor time is money (valuable resource). The study aims to support the assumption that in any language an abstract meaning can only be expressed with a figurative meaning. Time is an abstract concept that is present in the everyday language use of all people. The expressions time passes, the time is here, my time has come, it takes a lot of time – to mention just a few, have become so conventionalized in our language that we take their meaning literally. Nonetheless, they are based on conventional conceptual metaphors that we use to make the concept of time more tangible to ourselves. The linguistic manifestations of these conceptual metaphors are created and understood without any mental strain. In the first stage of the research, I searched for possible German equivalents of Hungarian expressions, and then I used Internet search engines and idiom and monolingual dictionaries to select the most frequently used equivalent in German. As a next step, I examined 1) the word form, 2) the literal meaning, 3) the figurative meaning, and 4) the conceptual metaphor of idioms in both languages, which were either been identical or different. Because they are different languages, the word forms are inherently different. At the end of the study, I compared the formed patterns from which I drew conclusions, which support that figurative meaning is figurative in another language as well.

scholarly journals METAPHOR AND HUMOR THEORIES REVIEW

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (69) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
E.V. Cherkasova ◽  
◽  
N.E. Petrova ◽  
Yu.I. Yefremova ◽  
O.V. Petryanina
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Comparison Method ◽  
Cognitive Models ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Cognitive Approaches ◽  
Cultural Linguistics

Subject of the article is cognitive models of metaphor and humor and their consideration in light of some existing theoretical approaches. The main subject is an overview of cognitive approaches to the study of metaphor and humor. The aim of the work is to try to consider and analyze some theoretical approaches to the study of metaphor and humor, to reveal their common characteristics. The methodological basis is the work of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of cognitive linguistics. The basic method is a descriptive analysis, generalization and comparison method. Results include an overview and analysis of some of the cognitive approaches to the study of metaphor and humor. and may serve as a further solution of the problem of the co-functioning of these cognitive models and the creation of a joint category of "metaphorical humor”. Scope of Results ". may be the development of special courses on cultural linguistics, language theory, stylistics. Output. Some theoretical approaches to the study of metaphor and humor are outlined. Complexity and versatility of both metaphor and humor, frequent use of them in any sphere of human communication cause, large variety of existing theories and numerous studies regarding the nature of their origin and role from the point of view of the sociocultural aspect of human activity. The combined approach of the above theories can be used in the analysis of the description of cognitive processes explaining the potential functioning of metaphor and humor in one expression

scholarly journals Abstract concept learning in a simple neural network inspired by the insect brain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Cope ◽  
Eleni Vasilaki ◽  
Dorian Minors ◽  
Chelsea Sabo ◽  
James A.R. Marshall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Control ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Mushroom Body ◽  
Insect Brain ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Learning Tasks ◽  
Learning Rates ◽  
Simple Neural Network

AbstractThe capacity to learn abstract concepts such as ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’ is considered a higher-order cognitive function, typically thought to be dependent on top-down neocortical processing. It is therefore surprising that honey bees apparantly have this capacity. Here we report a model of the structures of the honey bee brain that can learn same-ness and difference, as well as a range of complex and simple associative learning tasks. Our model is constrained by the known connections and properties of the mushroom body, including the protocerebral tract, and provides a good fit to the learning rates and performances of real bees in all tasks, including learning sameness and difference. The model proposes a novel mechanism for learning the abstract concepts of ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’ that is compatible with the insect brain, and is not dependent on top-down or executive control processing.

scholarly journals A COGNITIVE-CONCEPTUAL MAPPING OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN ORTEGA Y GASSET´S ESSAY LA DESHUMANIZACIÓN DEL ARTE (1925). TOWARDS A BIOPOETIC APPROACH1

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (XIX) ◽  
pp. 245-255
Author(s):  
Michał Góral ◽  
Juani Guerra
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Cognitive Models ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Conceptual Integration ◽  
Conceptual Mapping ◽  
Cognitive Dynamics ◽  
Human Element ◽  
Image Schema ◽  
Conceptual Integration Theory

The aim of this paper is to map cognitive dynamics of meaning constructionin Spanish language as articulated in Ortega y Gasset’s philosophical essay Ladeshumanización del arte / The Dehumanization of Art [1925]. We will focus on howthe human element is conceptualized, i.e., created and understood by the author. Ourmethod is based on the application of cognitive models of conceptual analysis foundin Cognitive Linguistics known as Idealized Cognitive Models – ICMs [Lakoff & Johnson1980] like Image Schema, Metaphor, Metonymy, and their developments as conceptualblends in Conceptual Integration Theory – CIT [Fauconnier & Turner 2002].The high philosophical complexity of this text’s nuclear conceptual structure HUMANand DEHUMANIZATION makes it necessary to initially map them from theoreticallyestablished cognitive approaches to language organization. In this paper we developsuch analysis as groundwork for a subsequent study involving a more dynamicist viewof their emergent meanings in the framework of Biopoetics [Guerra 2013, 2016].

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