Languages Of Art
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
What does it mean to represent the world through art, and how do symbols function across painting, music, dance, and literature? Nelson Goodman's Languages of Art stands as one of the most rigorous and groundbreaking works in the philosophy of aesthetics, presenting a comprehensive theory of symbols and symbolic systems that forever changed how we think about artistic expression. Goodman argues that the arts are not merely pleasurable diversions but sophisticated cognitive systems — genuine ways of knowing and constructing reality — and he draws on logic, linguistics, and epistemology to substantiate this bold claim with precision and clarity. Rooted in the analytic philosophical tradition, Languages of Art distinguishes between notational and non-notational symbol systems, illuminating why a musical score can be faithfully reproduced while a painting cannot, and why forgery matters in one art form but not another. Goodman's style is exacting yet intellectually exhilarating, rewarding the patient reader with a unified theory of immense explanatory power. A cornerstone of twentieth-century aesthetics and philosophy of mind, this work challenges readers to reconsider the very nature of perception, reference, and meaning — leaving one to wonder whether we have ever truly looked at a work of art, or merely begun to read it.
Author: Nelson Goodman
Format: Hardback
Genre: Philosophy
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
What does it mean to represent the world through art, and how do symbols function across painting, music, dance, and literature? Nelson Goodman's Languages of Art stands as one of the most rigorous and groundbreaking works in the philosophy of aesthetics, presenting a comprehensive theory of symbols and symbolic systems that forever changed how we think about artistic expression. Goodman argues that the arts are not merely pleasurable diversions but sophisticated cognitive systems — genuine ways of knowing and constructing reality — and he draws on logic, linguistics, and epistemology to substantiate this bold claim with precision and clarity. Rooted in the analytic philosophical tradition, Languages of Art distinguishes between notational and non-notational symbol systems, illuminating why a musical score can be faithfully reproduced while a painting cannot, and why forgery matters in one art form but not another. Goodman's style is exacting yet intellectually exhilarating, rewarding the patient reader with a unified theory of immense explanatory power. A cornerstone of twentieth-century aesthetics and philosophy of mind, this work challenges readers to reconsider the very nature of perception, reference, and meaning — leaving one to wonder whether we have ever truly looked at a work of art, or merely begun to read it.