Susanne K. Langers “Mind: An Essay on Human Feeling.” Eine späte Wiederentdeckung
Gestalt Theory December 18, 2023 Andersch Norbert
Susanne K. Langer's three-volume work 'Mind: An Essay on Human Feeling' (1967, 1972, 1982) presents a theory of consciousness rooted in feeling, symbolization, and Gestalt. Langer argues that human feeling is the fundamental basis of mind, and that symbolic processes—especially in art and language—emerge from organic, biological rhythms. Her work challenges the male-dominated consciousness research of her time by centering aesthetics and emotion rather than rational cognition. The text highlights Langer's bold entry into this field a century ago and notes that her final major work remains untranslated into German.