Abstract

Once an overlooked figure in 20th-century philosophy, Susanne K. Langer has become a prominent thinker among philosophers and artists, particularly because of her development of a new theory of art from symbolic logic. This open access book brings together a collection of major thinkers on Langer and elucidates her transdisciplinary connections and insights across philosophy, psychology, literature, aesthetics, history, architecture and other arts. Adopting two approaches to Langer's life and philosophy, Part I places her historically, documenting her origins and extensions and acknowledging Langer's relationship to rich, ongoing traditions. Part II situates her work in conversation with current scholarship, expanding her ideas to provide new insights into current discussions about affect, materialism, embodied cognition, virtuality and the new media. By recognizing Langer's influences and contribution to contemporary knowledge, this international team of contributors positions her firmly in mainstream theory and asserts Langer's ongoing importance to intellectual histories. Langer's philosophical achievements, emerging from a web of key movements, make her a visionary of her time. For anyone looking to understand Langer's impact and relevance for postmodern sciences and culture studies, here is the place to start.