Stroje, texty, sítě a jiné obrazy: metaforický rozměr sociologie

Main objective of the article is to explore the sociological implications of the conceptual metaphor theory, which is based on the idea that metaphors are not only discursive ornaments, but rather the basic principle of human thought as such. The article provides an overview of the metaphor theory, from the classical Aristotelian perspective to the conceptual metaphor theory. Later it discusses some of the implications of the conceptual metaphor theory for the realm of sociological discourse, with particular attention to metaphorical conceptualization of society as a machine, a network and a text. I argue that each conceptual metaphor in sociological thought is associated with certain presuppositions about the human individual condition in contemporary society, and we are bound to use our (deliberate) metaphors reflexively and consciously.