Grice on Analogy and Why it Matters -- Quintilian on 'skhemata'

"(*) An INVESTIGATION on the notion of ANALOGY,

and a delineation of its liks with other

seemingly comparable notions, such as Metaphor

and Parable. Can this list be expanded?"

--- Grice WoW:305 wonders, as this connects with J's mention of analogic -- (also in connection with the digital-analog distinction).

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In classical rhetoric (I learned this from Turner), a figure was a figure was a figure. Grice speaks of 'figures of speech' (in WoW:II) and he means, 'skhemata lexeos' -- which would include of course:

metaphor ---- You're the cream in my coffee

and also

analogy
parable.

When Christ said,

"I am the vineyard"

he was being parabolic, metaphoric, and analogic.

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And so on.

Yet, in classical rhetoric, I learned this from Turner, there was such a thing as the

"LITERAL" figure, as it were.

I.e. Quintilian, who translated 'skhema' as "figura", allowed that strict literalness -- as in calling a spade a spade -- is just as figurative as your wildest metaphor. So, yes, the list can be expanded! To include "LITERALNESS"!

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Grice noted elsewhere that it was a sign of class -- and education. Austin was a 'relentless literalist'. The Oxford dons like Austin and Grice HAD to be literalists. It was their trade.