The Power of Non-Literal Language: An Enquiry Into the Meaning of Metaphor

In this thesis, we will survey and critically analyze the philosophical discourse on metaphor as it has been traditionally defined by three main theories: the pseudo-semantic theory of Max Black, the non-cognitive theory of Donald Davidson, and the pragmatic theory of John Searle. With this critical analysis, we will see how these three philosophers have contributed to our understanding of what metaphors are, what metaphors mean, where the "power" of metaphors lie, and how we can restrict our possible interpretations of a metaphor. From here, we will see how the leading theory in the philosophy of metaphor, Relevance Theory, has attempted to accommodate for the virtues and vices of these three theories and some of the resistance that this theory has been met with.