Philosophy In The Flesh

Philosophy in the Flesh invites readers to reexamine perennial questions about the nature of human thought, the possibility of knowledge, and the origins of moral values. Traditional assumptions - that introspection grants us access to our minds, that our reasoning is predominantly literal, and that logic exists separately from our physical selves - are now challenged by the insights of cognitive science. Drawing on empirical evidence, Lakoff demonstrates that much of our thinking operates unconsciously and that the core concepts shaping our understanding of time, causation, and morality are constructed through metaphorical mappings derived from bodily experience. This perspective suggests that what we consider to be abstract thought is deeply intertwined with physical embodiment. By questioning established views such as the Cartesian dualism of mind and body and the idea of a universally rational, introspective self, the book offers a transformative understanding of human cognition. It shows how longstanding philosophical doctrines - from the classical Greeks to modern analytic philosophy - are reframed when one considers the practical workings of the mind. In this groundbreaking work, George Lakoff guides us through a refreshing reconsideration of fundamental philosophical ideas, illustrating that our mental and moral lives are not the products of a detached, disembodied intellect but emerge from the rich, metaphorical interplay of embodied experience.