The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms is one of the landmarks of twentieth century philosophy. Drawing from the influential work of Wilhelm Dilthey it transformed neo-Kantianism into a new robust philosophy of culture. The second volume on Mythical Thinking analyzes the fundamental layers of perception and expression as well as the articulations with religion and the dialectic with other forms essentially language and art. The intellectual breadth of the volume is remarkable. It initiated the debate with Martin Heidegger and prompted a long-lasting meditation by Hans Blumenberg. We are only beginning to recognize its importance for our understanding of the power of images in the construction of aesthetics the self and the socio-political world. It initiated a discussion within French sociology (Ãmile Durkheim Marcel Mauss) that ultimately resurfaced in Pierre Bourdieu while today it is considered as a resourceful path for cultural and critical theory (Drucilla Cornell and Kenneth M. Panfilio). Finally this volume also offers solid grounds for a political critique of Nazism - specifically: Alfred Rosenbergâs Myth of the 20th Century and Adolf Hitlerâs Mein Kampf - as well as the new emerging totalitarian ideologies. Fabien Capeilleres Professor of Philosophy editor of the French edition of Cassirerâs Works. This new translation makes Cassirerâs seminal work available to a new generation of scholars. Each volume includes a translatorâs introduction by Steve G. Lofts a foreword by Peter E. Gordon a glossary of key terms and an index. . Language: English