The Influence of Gestalt Theory on Ernst Cassirer’s Phenomenology of Symbolic Forms

• Authors: Parszutowicz Przemysław
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the opinion of many scholars the notion of symbolic pregnancy is one of the key concepts in Ernst Cassirer’s philosophy of symbolic forms. Without a proper under-standing of its conceptual frame Cassirer’s philosophy lacks a consistent foundation. The notion symbolic pregnancy offers the mechanism of distinction of symbolic forms. The newest investigations (also in unpublished or less known, neglected writings of the philosopher) has shown that the key-notion of symbolic pregnancy has its roots in Ge-stalt theory (Gestalt psychology). In this school Cassirer saw the most important exam-ple of the general tendency in scientific thought, according to which the primacy of the notion of function has to override the primacy of the notion of substance, the idea of integrated whole as well as the notion of primary elements.

Keywords

EN

Cassirer; symbolic pregnancy; symbolic form; Gestalt theory

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk; Fundacja Filozofia Na Rzecz Dialogu
• Journal: Dialogue and Universalism
• Year: 2015
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 87-99

Contributors

author

Parszutowicz Przemysław

• Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Nowy Świat 72, 00–330 Warszawa, Poland
• Department of Social and Philosophical Sciences, Gdańsk University of Technology, Narutowicz’s Street 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland