Image and sign at the crossroad of embodied epistemology and cognitive linguistics

Abstract

The paper presents epistemological foundations and philosophical significance of cognitive interrelations between embodied epistemology with cognitive linguistics. It has been de­monstrated, that this cooperation led to key concepts’ formation which presented embodied character of linguistic reference: empirical gestalt, image schema and primitive image schema. It has clearly been demonstrated, that the alliance of embodied epistemology with cognitive linguistics paved the way to deeper understanding the role of language in em­bodied theory of knowledge, the role of imagination in reference processes. It also led to the conclusion, that re-enactivation of sensory experience seems to be significant con­stituent of perceptual intentionality, which produced images, inseparably (but tacitly) tied to linguistic meaning. Heuristic power of “image schema” notion, derived in interdiscipli­nary cooperation of philosophy and linguistics, has been examined. Significance and func­tions of this key concept of cognitive linguistics within the framework of interdiscipli­nary dialogue have also been exposed. Philosophical significance of image schema concept consists in the fact, that by means of this concept profound sensomotor foundations of ab­stract thinking and meaning constitution processes viewed in the framework of contempo­rary embodied theory of knowledge have been articulated.