Metaphor in the History of Philosophy: A Matter of Style or Thought?

This chapter attempts to reconstruct the debate about the cognitive value of metaphor without claiming to cover the entire historical development of metaphor, as there is a vast literature on the subject. Instead, we will focus on identifying key figures who have taken different positions, either for or against, in the course of the historical discourse on metaphor. The intention is to offer a nuanced exploration of the opposing perspectives within this debate, recognizing that an exhaustive historical account is impractical, while offering meaningful insights into the dichotomy of opinions on the cognitive value of metaphor.