The Primal Force in Symbol

by Alleau, Rene

• ISBN13: 9781594772498
• ISBN10: 1594772495
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-14
• Publisher: Inner Traditions

Summary

An exhaustive study of symbology--the science of symbols--and how symbols act on multiple levels of our experience- Examines the role of symbol in a wide array of Eastern and Western sources- Reveals how symbols form a language akin to music that allows one to grasp the universal orderIf a person does not learn the grammar of a language, the best dictionary in the world cannot help him truly understand that language, much less speak it. This book explores the grammar as well as the principles and structures of symbology, the science of symbols. In distinction to symbolism, which explores the use of symbols, symbology examines the primal force that creates symbols that are able to act on multiple levels of our experience. Symbols not only link separate parts into a coherent whole but also link those who understand them in a sacred alliance. Rene Alleau investigates diverse aspects of symbols in Eastern and Western philosophies as well as in African, Native American, and Australian cultures, both in ancient and modern times. Myth, he reveals, has been mistakenly identified by modern culture as fiction, when its true strength lies in the logic of analogy. The author then shows that nothing is closer to the language of symbols than music and that to enter the world of symbols is the attempt to grasp harmonic vibrations and learn the music of the universe. Just as there is a musical ear, there is also one sensitive to the primal force transmitted by symbol.

Author Biography

René Alleau is a philosopher and historian who has written extensively on alchemy, the occult sciences, and secret societies. The author of History of Occult Sciences and Aspects de l’alchimie traditionelle, he lives in France.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. v
Introduction	p. 1
Questions of the Symbol
Origin and Semantics of the Word Symbol	p. 16
Sign and Symbol	p. 33
Analogy
The Experiential Origins of the Analogical Process	p. 56
The Logic of Analogy	p. 72
The Syntheme
The Synthematic Function of Symbolism	p. 90
Allegory
The Allegorical Function of Symbolism	p. 104
Apologue, Fable, and Parable	p. 120
Device and Emblem	p. 134
Allegory and Iconology	p. 146
The Type
The Typological Function of Symbolism	p. 162
The Divination and Symbolic Interpretation of the Cosmos	p. 174
Myth and Rite	p. 190
The Bourgeois Philosophy of the Symbol	p. 208
Appendices: Contemporary Research in the Realm of the Interdisciplinary Study of Symbolism
A Letter from Ms. Claire Lejeune Concerning the History of the Journal Cahiers Internationaux de Symbolisme	p. 222
General Symbology and the Exploration of the Imaginary	p. 228
"The Universe of the Symbol" by Gilbert Durand	p. 243
Notes	p. 258
Bibliography	p. 274
Index	p. 292
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.