An essay on man

About “An essay on man”

Drawing upon scientific, anthropological, and historical data, the author examines man's efforts to understand himself and the problems of his universe through the creation and use of symbols. The book analyzes the major symbolic forms of human enterprise, including language, myth, art, religion, history, and science, and discusses topics such as the origins of language, doctrines of aesthetics, Frazer's theory of magic, the religious significance of taboo, and the symbolic implications of philosophic thought from Heraclitus to Kierkegaard and Einstein.