The freely flowing beer and the ubiquitous hot-dog transform this battle scene into a feast. But, let us retire the ivory tower before making any forays into relevance. By philosophers George Lakoff and Mark Johnson give a stimulating discussion of the use of military metaphors in academic life. The university seminar is itself a battlefield. Arguments are mounted and countered.
Opponents defend positions.
Inferences are thrown up against conjectures as correspondences are scouted out and investigated. The name promises nurture and growth, but our practice delivers polarization through conflict as the ground from which understanding springs. Religious symbols embody transcendent reality. Things are thrown together. The combination is pregnant with meaning.