Figuration as a Line of Argument

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 ).

Program

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