Conceptual Metaphors of Ferdowsi`s Shahnameh in the Field of Ethics; a Cognitive Approach

Ethics is among those words of vast range in human field of knowledge with various definitions. As ethics and its extensions are abstract concepts, different methods have been used in ethical studies. The cotemporary theory of metaphor is regarded as one of the important theories that may explain the subject. As Lakoff and Johnson (2003) viewed, metaphor is a mental thing by which man make abstract meanings sensible. In this paper, it has been intended to describe the metaphors and main fields of Shahnameh for
ethical abstract concepts. To do so, 3800 couplets of Ferdowsi have been surveyed. The method of the study is a descriptive and analytical one. As found by the study, Ferdowsi has used such origin fields as man, thing, bulding, lightness, darkness, up directs, down directs, dress, water, journey, and job to objectify ethical concepts.