Language as Symbolic Action

Language As Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature and Method is a book by Kenneth Burke, published in 1966 by the University of California Press. As indicated by the title, the book, Burke's 16th published work, consists of “many of Burke's essays which have appeared in widely diverse periodicals” and has thus been regarded as one of the most significant resources for studying and comprehending Burke’s ideas.

Language as Symbolic Action is divided into three parts: (1) Five Summarizing Essays (2) Particular Works and Authors and (3) Further Essays on Symbolism in General.

The first of Burke’s five essays is the “Definition of man” which defines man as

. . .the symbol-using (symbol-making, symbol-misusing) animal/inventor of the negative (or moralized by the negative)/separated from his natural condition by instruments of his own making/goaded by the spirit of hierarchy (or moved by the sense of order)/ and rotten with perfection.

The next chapter “Poetics in Particular, Language in General” returns to a discussion of perfection continued from the previous chapter. Burke summarizes this chapter by stating:

The poetic motive does indeed come to a head in the principle of perfection . . . But the principle of perfection should not be viewed in too simple a sense. We should also use the expression ironically . . . the motive of perfection may extend to areas far beyond the confines of poetry and poetics.

Osborn explains this concept further: “. . . a truly rigorous attempt to account for a single work on the grounds of poetics alone should force recognition that it is necessary to go beyond poetics-in-particular to language-in-general. . .” Perfection, according to Burke and similar scholars, is a motive that exists both in literature and beyond, as an underlying human desire that drives much symbolic action.

The third and often-referenced chapter “Terministic Screens” makes use of many key terms of Burke’s “dramatistic” approach to literary and rhetorical criticism. Burke begins the chapter by explaining the “scientistic” and the “dramatistic.” “‘A scientistic approach begins with questions of naming, or definition’(44). A ‘dramatistic’ approach stresses ‘language as an aspect of ‘action,’ that is, symbolic action’(44).” Burke explains that, through the concept of terministic screens,

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