History and Metaphor Hans Blumenberg's Theory of Language

Language loses its dominant status and is incorporated into a “phenomenological anthropology” that studies all productions of meaning—be they linguistic or otherwise—as “significances.” Here, language is one tool among others for human survival. In tracing these changes, the thesis contextualizes both Blumenberg’s major works and discusses unknown archival material. In addition to a new assessment of Blumenberg’s biographical background, the thesis addresses his metaphorology, his literary theory, and, in particular, his theory of liberalism.