Reason of Metaphor A Study in Politics

"Donald F. Miller's theoretical insight into the metaphoricity of thought and his sensitive political critique of Indian culture are bound by the underlying investigation into the relationship between the self and the other. There is never the suggestion of equivalence or exclusivity but rather the compulsion to discover the comprehensibility of the incommensurable. . . . Playful, delightful study." --Political Studies A vibrant protest against the analytic frame of politics in which concepts are well defined and fundamental truths "known," The Reason of Metaphor emphasizes the lack of universal standards and truths and displays a dissatisfaction with the dominant western faith in reason. Donald Miller argues against any cultural disposition to think only in terms of "either-or," and seeks to restore the dignity of metaphor both as the heart of all political discourse and as the primary tool of political analysis and demystification. Attempting to expand the range of interpretations and options, the author encourages an exploration of the "both-and" and "neither-nor" logic embodied in the Indian tradition of non-dualism and in the ideas of Jacques Derrida. Including a masterly analysis of the relation between language and thought, as well as a seven-fold typology of metaphor, this thought-provoking volume will be of wide interest to scholars in the fields of political science, social theory, philosophy, language and culture, postmodernism, and linguistics. "Miller's writing style is lively and provocative." --Contributions to Indian Sociology "Miller is not only illustrating the exilic dynamism of modernity but also attempting to incorporate the radial energy of polysemia into the language of critique. The book begins and ends with a celebration of the creativity that comes with keeping open the tension in dualisms." --Indian Book ReviewMiller, Donald F. is the author of 'Reason of Metaphor A Study in Politics' with ISBN 9780803994102 and ISBN 0803994109.