The Image and the Feeling in the Metaphorical Process of Paul Ricoeur

Abstract

Metaphor, due to the high level of abstraction and non-literal way of content communication, is an extremely mysterious and attractive form of expression. No wonder, then, that it has been the subject of much discussion and theoretical considerations since antiquity. However, it was the twentieth century that brought the biggest changes in the approach and understanding of metaphors, mainly through the findings of researchers in the field of cognitive linguistics. Since then, the metaphor appearing in the sentence structure has been regarded as a unique figure of perception of the surrounding world. The metaphor has a semantic nature, i.e., has the potential of portraying the true dimension of reality. This paper is an attempt to summarize the considerations of Paul Ricoeur on the role and importance of the psychological factor in the process of building and communicating of the content through metaphor. The French researcher, in a manner characteristic for his writing, presents a theory about this form of expression, referring to ideas of other thinkers, which he reinterprets, develops, and with which he often argues.