Discourse studies make an empirical contribution to the study of metaphor: depending on the setting that is under investigation, such studies contribute to our understanding of the social realities constructed in the areas of politics, economics, science, law, doctor-patient conversation, and other areas of life. Such research can be conceptualized as an 'applied' endeavour that supplements (tests, provides a basis for) the aims of 'basic' (linguistic, philosophical) research to understand 'metaphor understanding'. However, we argue in this chapter that a discourse perspective also calls into question assumptions made on the basis of theoretical commitments. We want to bring both of these possible contributions - of empirical analysis and distinctive theoretical perspective - together in this introduction. (Jörg Zinken and Andreas Musolff)