Tra metaforizzazione e simbolizzazione: la metafora come dispositivo linguistico di visualizzazione?

In this paper we will consider metaphor as a phenomenon that lies at the interface between language and imagination. By focusing on how this phenomenon works, we will attempt to shed light on how symbols work. After analyzing the relationship between metaphor and sym bol to highlight the main similarities and differences, we will examine the functions of metaphor with particular reference to the thought of Paul Ricœur. In particular, we will highlight the role that the French thinker attributes to the imagination in constructing the meaning of a metaphor. Finally, after highlighting the relationship between images and words, between the linguistic dimension and the dimension of aisthesis in metaphor, we will try to evaluate the possible consequences for a theory of symbols and, more generally, for a theory of language.