#156 the basic concepts of causation used in the physical and social sciences are primarily constituted by a system of nearly two dozen distinct metaphors   10 years ago (owner) Document
"Even the basic concepts of causation used in the physical and social sciences are primarily constituted by a system of nearly two dozen distinct metaphors, each with its own causal logic (Lakoff and Johnson 1999, chapter 11). Thus, causation can be conceptualized in terms of forced motion to a new location (as in, "Scientific developments have propelled us into the Digital Age"), the giving and taking of objects ("These vitamins will give you energy"), links ("Cancer has been linked to pesticide use"), motion along a path ("China is on the road to democracy, having taken the path of capitalism"), and so on. This discovery was particularly startling, even to us, because it challenged the widespread view that there is a single kind of causation with a single causal logic structuring the world." (#60 4076)