Abstract
Erwin Panofsky's theory of iconology has a substantial sociological foundation. Pierre Bourdieu was influenced by Panofsky and borrowed his concept of “mental habits” to propose the concept of “habitus” in the field of sociology, shedding light on Chomsky's theory of transformational generative grammar to give it more dynamic and explanatory power. The proposition of habitus marks Bourdieu's departure from structuralism. Bourdieu also drew on Panofsky's Perspective as Symbolic Form, which was influenced by Cassirer's semiotics. Meanwhile, Bourdieu reviewed the history of semiotics and constructed the “sociology of symbolic form” which regards habitus, field and capital form as main elements. Bourdieu keenly discovered the linguistic, semiotic, and sociological bases in Panofsky's theory, and advanced on these bases. However, his interpretation of Panofsky was critically accepted and partially misunderstood.
Keywords
Pierre Bourdieu, Erwin Panofsky, habitus, symbolic form, field
Recommended Citation
Sun, Lin. 2024. "From Mental Habits to the Sociology of Symbolic Forms: An Analysis of Pierre Bourdieu's French Translation and Interpretation of Erwin Panofsky." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44, (1). https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss1/21
