Metaphorical Vision: Changes in Western Attitudes to the Environment

Abstract.

Metaphor plays a fundamental role in our perception and comprehension of our environment, not just as a means of escape from customary vision but, more importantly, as the means whereby that customary vision first becomes established. Societies differ in “metaphorical vision” because their vision of the world derives from different metaphors. Three periods in the history of the Western world are distinguished. In the Middle Ages, nature was seen primarily as a book. In the Renaissance, it was believed to be organized in the same manner as a human being. In the modern age, the most influential metaphor has been the machine. A society's choice of one metaphor rather than another as the primary vehicle through which it seeks to comprehend its environment is highly indicative of the needs and aspirations of that society.

Key Words:

• Metaphor
• book of nature
• microcosmism
• machinism
• history of environmental attitudes