概念隐喻研究在神经科学中的新进展——以心理现实性问题为例

Advances in conceptual metaphor studies in neuroscience:A focus on the issue of psychological reality

Lakoff依据现象学方法提出概念隐喻理论伊始,便不乏质疑,其一便是有无心理现实性。由于方法论和研究角度的局限性,争辩双方早期常常囿于本体论的证明,难以超越逻辑思辨层面得到定论。近期神经科学的研究成果表明,概念隐喻基于神经元的心智模拟功能,其心理现实性在行为、神经心理学和个体发育等方面都是成立的。本文从认识论角度入手,综述了神经科学中有关概念隐喻心理现实性的最新研究,并对前人实验中的问题进行了总结和展望。语言体现于心智,物化于大脑。通过神经科学研究隐喻,有利于该理论的巩固与发展。

Conceptual metaphor theory put forward by Lakoff via phenomenology has been challenged ever since its advent.One challenge concerns the existence/non-existence of its psychological reality.In earlier times,owing to the limitations in methodology and research perspectives,the arguments on both sides were confined to ontological verifications and hence failed to reach any final conclusion beyond the level of logical reasoning.Findings from recent studies in neuroscience show that conceptual metaphor is based on mental simulation function of the neurons and that psychological reality does hold in behavior,neuropsychology and individual development.In an epistemic stance,the paper gives an overview of the latest explorations into the psychological reality of conceptual metaphor in neuroscience,exposes the existing problems in the previous experimental studies and provides a prospective outlook for further study.Language is embodied in the mind and materialized in the brain.Studying metaphor via neuroscience helps consolidate and further develop the theory.