THE LOGIC OF THE SYMBOLISM OF MUSIC IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SUSANNE LANGER
Abstract
This article discusses the main theses of Susanne K. Langer’s book, “Philosophy in a New Key”, in which the author explored the symbolism, its characteristic and structure, its role in various fields of knowledge and culture, philosophy, science, art, mythology and ritual. One of the most famous American philosophers and aesthetes, Susanne K. Langer continued the research of Ernst Cassirer, “the pioneer of the philosophy of symbolism”, and Alfred North Whitehead. Exploring symbolism in various fields of science and knowledge, Susanne K. Langer focuses on music itself: “music is a representative symbol of physical processes”, “music is a tonal resemblance of human emotional life”, “music is a symbolic transmission of higher body functions and human’s emotional life”. At the same time, in her research, and in other philosophical works, Susanne K. Langer moves from pure questions of aesthetics and theory of art to general questions of philosophy of knowledge, anthropology, and theory of evolution.
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