Metaphorical modeling of Confucian philosophical discourse

The article is devoted to the study of the representation of the conceptual metaphor in Confucian philosophical discourse. The study aims to reveal the role of various metaphorical models in shaping and expressing the concepts of Confucian philosophy, which have had a significant impact on the spiritual and cultural traditions of Chinese civilization. The cognitive-semantic analysis of the text “The Great Learning” (“Da Xue”) demonstrates the key role of metaphors in shaping the terminological system of Confucianism, substantiating its main ideas, and structuring the content and logic of this canonical text. The study is novel in that it is the first one to use the semantic-cognitive approach when analyzing philosophical metaphors. For the first time, the main metaphorical models characteristic of Confucianism have been identified, their importance in forming and transmitting the concepts of Confucian philosophy has been revealed. During the analysis of the text, it was discovered that there is an active use of metaphorical images characterized by spatial, luminous, floristic, zoomorphic, and object features, which are significantly shaped by perceptual experience and cultural-historical factors. The conducted study showed that the representation of key Confucian ideas about personal self-improvement, regulation of family and public relations, maintaining state stability, and ensuring universal peace in the Celestial Empire are significantly actualized through the metaphorical models “Great Learning – Path”, “Person – Bird”, “Grace – Light”, “Renewal of Ideology – Body Cleansing”, “Acquisition of Knowledge and Truth – Expanding Space”, “Calming the Soul – Straightening the Heart”, “Expressing Sincerity – Perceiving Smell and Beauty”, “State – Family”, “Personal Perfection – Adorning the Body”, “Person – Tree”, “Wealth and Grace – Water”.