Symbolic Worlds: Art, Science, Language, Ritual

Description

In this important and broad-ranging book, Israel Scheffler explores the various ways in which the mind functions symbolically. This involves considering not only the worlds of the sciences and the arts, but also such activities as religious ritual and child's play. The book offers an integrated treatment of ambiguity and metaphor, analyses of play and ritual, and an extended discussion of the relations between scientific symbol systems and reality. What emerges is a picture of the basic symbol-forming character of the mind.

'The scholarship throughout is impeccable, and the writing is clear, straightforward and attractive. ... Symbolic Worlds is an important work of philosophy - broad in scope, careful, detailed, and ingenious in its argumentation. Its contributions will be welcomed ...' Karen Hanson, Department of Philosophy, Indiana University, Bloomington