Philosophy in a New Key: a Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite and Art by Susanne K. LangerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Error is the price we pay for progress.” This is a quote from Alfred North Whitehead that humbly concludes this book, which has Whitehead as its dedicatee.
This work is in two, broad parts. The first, greater part distinguishes between signal/sign and symbol. My cat knows its name as a sign for attention from its owner. I can now "Albert Einstein" as a symbol for someone I have never even met or seen and all that that entails.
Hinted at by come music notation examples, the second part courageously attempts to define art and settles on music as the case to build on. Art is expression: the transport a symbol makes but without untethered to a language.
This work will appeal to students of philosophy, philologists, and aestheticians.
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