Thinking of Others: On the Talent for Metaphor

Book Details

• Author: Ted Cohen

• Publisher: Princeton University Press

• Language: English

• Edition: Reprint

• ISBN: 9780691137469

• Pages: 104

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches

About the Book

"Thinking of Others: From Nonduality to the Concept of the Other" by Ted Cohen is a profound exploration of the human capacity to imagine oneself as another, a skill that is not only essential for moral awareness but also for the appreciation of literature and the arts. Cohen argues that the ability to identify with others—whether real people or fictional characters—is a critical human talent, fundamentally linked to our capacity to understand metaphor and figurative language.

Through a series of thoughtful examinations, Cohen examines how this skill of identification is applied in various contexts, including reading fiction, enjoying sports, making moral arguments, imagining one's future self, and understanding how one is perceived by others. Using numerous literary examples, he suggests that our engagement with fictional characters can be as vivid and emotionally charged as our interactions with real individuals.

In an engaging and accessible style, Cohen also delves into how literature addresses the question of interpersonal identification and understanding, offering insights into the role of imagination in both moral and aesthetic life. A unique meditation on the necessity of imagination in human experience, Thinking of Others is an important contribution to both philosophy and literary theory, encouraging readers to reconsider the ways in which we connect with others and the world around us.