"The Return of the Repressed"
An extended recurring metaphor used by the author compares the manner in which psychological repression of traumatic past events is confused with eliminating them. That which is repressed always seeks to return, however, and in Freudian terms does so unconsciously in forms like dreams or inexplicable behavior. This becomes a metaphor a for history and the way that progress does not occur seamlessly but in fits and starts in which that which is overcome is only temporarily forgotten and not eliminating, allowing things to go right back to how things once were.
Nietzsche
Germany philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is quoted in a metaphor relating to the difficult of trying to solve big problems by treating them as such. Focus is the issue when it comes to something too momentous to easily handle and speed is of the essence. Or, Nietzsche put it:
“big problems were like cold baths: you have to get out as fast as you got in.”
Boyle vs. Hobbes
A long, intricate, complex comparison of philosophies of Robert Boyle and Thomas Hobbes takes up many pages and is fascinating in its own right. For the purpose here, however, what stands out the most is the metaphorical image to which much of it pushes inexorably toward, an image easily comprehended even if one has been made entirely confused by what leads to it:
“Boyle, a new Puss in Boots, now has only to pounce on the Ogre, who has just been reduced to the size of a mouse.”
Allusions
The book is academic in content and style so be prepared for multiple allusions. Allusions to history, classical literature, and myth not only populate the text, but often drive the premise. Most are fairly commonly known, but a few may require a quick side trip to the search engine. The following is an example of a metaphor based upon an allusion not exactly obscure, so if the terms draw a blank be prepared for many side trips to that search engine:
“The destiny of the starving multitudes and the fate of our poor planet are connected by the same Gordian knot that no Alexander will ever again manage to sever.”
“The Parliament of Things”
The most famous metaphor in the book—and arguably the most famous metaphor associated with the author—is his conceptualization of “the Parliament of Things.” The author expends three pages on this subject under a chapter subtitle and even with that it is still likely that a great many people would not even begin to know how to explain it. Trying to convey the full dimension of the metaphor in this limited space is beyond capability, but there are plenty of web sites devoted entirely to the theory.
