Pernicious logical metaphors

	   Edwin Coleman
	         October 2006

My real position is that logic is a mere sub-branch of rhetoric, but in this
paper I only try to show an area of overlap. Certain usages in logical work
are metaphorical, and I argue that this has pernicious effects in a
discipline assumed strictly literal. Among these pernicious effects are the
bizarre and fruitless focus of philosophy of mathematics on the
pseudo-problems of foundations and objects. I mostly examine the locution
'logical construction' and a range of associated metaphors. Some sketchy
remarks on the history of rhetoric are offered in explanation.