| Popis: |
If a good story and a well-formed argument are considered different natural kinds, there does not seem to be much hope for narrative structures in a formal theory. However, when we apply cognitive linguistics to recent theories of continuum thermo-dynamics, a different picture emerges. We can show that the concepts of continuum physics are embodied and result from our figurative mind operating on experiences of nature. A basic structure of experience is the gestalt of forces - causative powerful phenomena ranging from music to justice to electricity and heat. Humans have developed narrative approaches to understand such phenomena. In this paper, I will show that image schematic structures, metaphoric projections, and an extended model of narrative apply to the cognitive structure of continuum physics. Since the use of natural language in continuum physics literature is fairly limited, I will apply cognitive schematic analyses to the equations and make the results transparent by introducing visual schemas and metaphors for the concepts. The gestalt of forces such as fluids or heat is structured in terms of three main aspects. The three basic schemas that are projected metaphorically are those of quality (intensity), quantity (object, fluid substance), and force or power. In a continuum model of thermal conduction, the law of balance of entropy is analogous to that of chemical substance or electric charge. Add to this the meaning of temperature as a (vertical) scale and the relation of temperature and entropy to the power of heat and you end up with a minimal Cognitive Model of heat as a powerful agent. Agents are perfect elements of narrative. Therefore, a narrative approach to science is not limited to humans acting in the endeavor of science. The most formal theories of continuum physics tell stories of forces of nature - they are narratives. |
