Written by Olivia Blashford and Julianna Wedding
Susanne Langer was a prominent American philosopher whose work revolutionized the comprehension of emotions and their expression through art. Langer was the creator of the concept known as symbolic forms. This concept provided a foundation for understanding how art, language, and other symbolic activities express fundamental understanding of human cognition and experience. She believed that emotions were paramount to the human experience, and that symbols were a vehicle for how people form concepts of reality. Along with these ideas, Langer also philosophized on what makes valuable versus corruptive art.
Langer’s philosophy revolves around a deliberately vague definition of feeling. Langer argues that feeling encompasses multiple aspects of mental processes: (a) sensation, (b) emotion, (c) perception, (d) cognition, or (e)any other patterns of human sentience. Langer believes that feeling is a process (i.e., action) rather than something you have (i.e., entity or thing). The objective of this essay is to explore Langer’s beliefs on emotions, the role of symbols in music, and her contrasts between good or valuable art versus bad or corruptive art.
According to Langer, only good art or music will adequately serve as an educator offeeling, and that “bad art” is a “corruption of feeling” (Bowman, 1998, p. 220). It is in music’s ability to serve as an educator of feeling that its significance and beauty is found (Langer, 1967). Exposure to bad art is just as hurtful as not being exposed to music at all (Bowman, 1998). Music serves the purpose of an educator in that it catalyzes the conception of feeling. Music is not a cause or symptom of feeling but rather the symbolic facilitation of the education of feeling. Furthermore, creating valuable music is an “act of personal insight” (Innis, 2009, p. 158). The artist must go through the process of mediating their feelings and deciding how to express them through their art. Doing so creates symbolism. The artist’s feelings may be the inspiration or guiding force behind the creation of art, but the product is not the direct representation of feelings. Langer (1967) believes that an artist’s imagination reflects the feelings that they have already experienced; in other words, art (and imagination) mimics life (p. 99). Therefore, Langer reasons that while the artist is working, they are not actively feeling but reflecting and creating symbolism. To clarify, the product may be good, poor, or bad, but Langer assures us that it is still considered art. It is when an artist creates with whole disregard, or indifference, towards this process of expression into symbolism that a product would be considered bad art or not art at all (Langer, 1967).
Langer believed in the existence of two types of symbols. Discursive symbols are symbols used in language. Some examples include words, punctuation, and even mathematical symbols like plus or minus signs. These symbols rely on language and abstract thought. Next, we have presentational symbols, which are perceived through the senses. Some instances of this type of symbol would be visual art, dance, or music. Langer believed these symbols serve as a vehicle for how people form concepts of reality. She believed the senses absorb data, and then interpret objects and/or events to create patterns and meaning from randomness.
If Langer was to watch a performance of an interpretive dance, she would likely view it through the lens of presentational symbolism. Interpretive dance emphasizes the conveying emotions and abstract concepts through choreographed movements and gestures. Langer would view the dance as a powerful form of artistic communication that conveys meaning and evokes emotions through movement and expression. She would also appreciate the meaning and significance of this kind of performance would be subject to each person’s interpretation and life experience. Langer believed that if words could convey the same meaning as music, we would not need music. Under this philosophy, it is suggested that the moods and emotions people feel from music are not moods and emotions at all. They merely sound the way moods feel.
According to Langer, music and feeling are intimate collaborators. Music provides the opportunity for us to feel, process, and reflect upon presentational symbols. These presentational symbols help us to meditate the inner felt life and conceive our reality. Langer made it clear that this special relationship between music and feeling is what makes music so significant. Her philosophies are both romantic, well-founded, and highly thrilling to interpret. It is no wonder she is so well-known for her critical philosophical endeavors and contributions to the arts.
References
Bowman, W. D. (1998). Philosophical perspectives of music. Oxford University Press.
Innis, R. E. (2009). Susanne Langer in focus: The symbolic mind. Indiana University Press
Langer, S. K. (1967). Mind: An essay on human feeling: I. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Philosophy of Music 