What is it about?
Charles Taylor discusses a special kind of metaphor, which hat its roots in the embodiment of humans. He calls it "structural template". He likens this kind of metaphor to paradigms. I argue that apart from similarities there are also differences between the two. The example Taylor uses, “time is a resource”, is better understood as a paradigm because it can change. Structural templates on the other hand do not readily change if at all.
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Why is it important?
In my view it is important to see "time is a resource" as paradigm because that view allows formulating critique. This view brings to the fore that this attitude towards or conviction about time is socially constructed and not “naturally” given or rather engrained in our bodily experiences.
Perspectives
It was a pleasure to organize this first book symposium on Charles Taylors “The Language Animal” together with Hartmut Rosa and Ulf Bohmann at the Max-Weber-Kolleg, Erfurt, because I enjoy any opportunity to engage with Taylors philosophy. It was a privilege to do so with Charles Taylor and listen to his replies. It was an extra bonus when this presentation and subsequent article proved to be very fruitful indeed for my research project on normativity of time.
Gesche Keding
Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Metaphors and Paradigms of the Language Animal—or—The Advantage of seeing “Time Is a Resource” as a Paradigm, Dialogue, December 2017, Cambridge University Press,
DOI: 10.1017/s0012217317000762.
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