Philosophy in a New Key
eBook - ePub

Philosophy in a New Key

A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art, Third Edition

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Philosophy in a New Key

A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art, Third Edition

About this book

Modern theories of meaning usually culminate in a critique of science. This book presents a study of human intelligence beginning with a semantic theory and leading into a critique of music.

By implication it sets up a theory of all the arts; the transference of its basic concepts to other arts than music is not developed, but it is sketched, mainly in the chapter on artistic import. Thoughtful readers of the original edition discovered these far-reaching ideas quickly enough as the career of the book shows: it is as applicable to literature, art and music as to the field of philosophy itself.

The topics it deals with are many: language, sacrament, myth, music, abstraction, fact, knowledge--to name only the main ones. But through them all goes the principal theme, symbolic transformation as the essential activity of human minds. This central idea, emphasizing as it does the notion of symbolism, brings Mrs. Langer's book into line with the prevailing interest in semantics. All profound issues of our age seem to center around the basic concepts of symbolism and meaning. The formative, creative, articulating power of symbols is the tonic chord which thinkers of all schools and many diverse fields are unmistakably striking; the surprising, far-reaching implications of this new fundamental conception constitute what Mrs. Langer has called "philosophy in a new key."

Mrs. Langer's book brings the discussion of symbolism into a wider general use than criticism of word meaning. Her volume is vigorous, effective, and well written and will appeal to everyone interested in the contemporary problems of philosophy.

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Yes, you can access Philosophy in a New Key by Susanne K. Langer in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Philosophy & Philosophy History & Theory. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. I. The New Key
  6. II. Symbolic Transformation
  7. III. The Logic of Signs and Symbols
  8. IV. Discursive Forms and Presentational Forms
  9. V. Language
  10. VI. Life-Symbols: The Roots of Sacrament
  11. VII. Life-Symbols: The Roots of Myth
  12. VIII. On Significance in Music
  13. IX. The Genesis of Artistic Import
  14. X. The Fabric of Meaning
  15. Index