Metaphors of knowledge
Metaphors of Knowledge examines the work of philosopher and critic Fritz Mauthner, who influenced much of the discussion on language and literature in turn-of-the-century Austria and Germany. This monograph provides an in-depth analysis of Mauthner's Beitrage zu einer Kritik der Sprache, written in 1901-02, at the time of the "linguistic turn" in the history of philosophy. Bredeck analyzes Mauthner's views of language and knowledge, then considers their implications for his understanding of philosophy as language critique. Noting historical parallels between Mauthner and his contemporaries, the author also draws on recent philosophers and theorists including Richard Rorty and Jacques Derrida, who have re-examined critical commonplaces about philosophical discourse in particular and language in a very general sense. This study considers Mauthner's views on language and thought as "metaphorical," then traces the consequences of those views in his discussion of language origin, history, and the problems of distinguishing between both individual disciplines and types of disciplines. Bredeck gives an overview of Mauthner's critique, but also does more, since a reconstruction of key arguments reveals some troubling inconsistencies. To account for these discrepancies rather than simply identify them, she looks at both what Mauthner says and how he says it. Though Bredeck's emphasis on rhetorical aspects of Mauthner's writing reflects the influence of contemporary trends in interpretation, it is Mauthner's own practice that invites, and even necessitates, such an approach. To view Mauthner in light of current theoretical debates not only helps explain some obvious, fundamental discrepancies in Mauthner's arguments, it also represents an inquiry into the historical background of those present-day discussions. Thus, Mauthner serves as a lens through which we can get a new perspective on issues in contemporary theory, while contemporary theory helps shed new light on the complexities of Mauthner's own thought.