Adorning Bodies

Adorning Bodies is an important reminder of our embodied lives, where our adorned bodies are imbued with meaning, and that ‘everything speaks’. Johnson provides us with a fresh take on these themes, bringing the philosophy of language to life by applying it to our bodily selves in a lucid and engaging way. * Suki Finn, Lecturer, Royal Holloway University of London, UK * Johnson interprets adornment through the combined lenses of the philosophy of language and evolutionary theory. The result is interesting, informative and very enjoyable. The book is full of great insights, and made me re-evaluate my relationship to the clothes I wear. It's an excellent contribution to the literature. * Richard Moore, Senior Research Fellow, University of Warwick, UK * Adorning Bodies invites us to consider how our bodies and clothing convey meaning, for better or for worse. Johnson masterfully appeals to the philosophy of language and evolutionary theory to develop a rich account of the meaning woven into the fabric we wear. From Darwin to Stonewall, the book makes elegant use of historical texts and contemporary examples. It will be invaluable for scholars and interesting to anyone who wants to think more deeply about what it means to get dressed. * Kate Moran, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Brandeis University, USA * [H]ighly engaging and insightful, it comes as a very welcome entryway into discussions in the present and also leading philosophers into future avenues of research. Johnson presents astute analysis, while demonstrating each move of the argument with examples from history, popular culture, and science. Taking cues from theories of culture, biology, and psychology, this book maintains its core presence as philosophy, while exemplifying the kind of interdisciplinary research that should guide more academics. * Michael Spicher, Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics * Marilynn Johnson's Adorning Bodies rigorously and insightfully brings together three disciplines rarely combined in a unified framework, namely, the philosophy of language, evolutionary theory, and aesthetics. Focusing on bodily adornment, Johnson is able to carefully dissect such issues, among others as the question of whether animals create art, while also arguing that some high fashion is art, properly so called. Written with exemplary clarity, the range of issues is broad with many engaging examples that establish that the philosophy of adornment is a vast understudied area calling for further, continuing inquiry and discussion. * Noël Carroll, Professor of Philosophy, CUNY, USA *