b. 1941
George Lakoff (born 1941) is an American cognitive linguist and philosopher at UC Berkeley, best known for developing conceptual metaphor theory with Mark Johnson. His work argues that abstract thought is fundamentally grounded in embodied experience and structured through metaphorical mappings, challenging classical views of mind and language. He has also applied cognitive framing theory to political discourse.
Co-developed conceptual metaphor theory with Mark Johnson in 'Metaphors We Live By' (1980)
Pioneered cognitive linguistics as a field distinct from generative grammar
Advanced embodied cognition: the thesis that conceptual structure is grounded in bodily experience
Developed the neural theory of language (NTL) linking cognitive linguistics to neuroscience
Applied cognitive framing theory to political communication in 'Don't Think of an Elephant!' (2004)