Music and perception

A study in Aristoxenus

Bibliographic Data

ID23130613
AuthorsAndrew Barker (University of Cambridge, corresponding author)
Year1978
Volume98
Pages9-16
Publication date1978-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Hellenic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0075-4269 • E-ISSN: 2041-4099
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/630189
OpenAlexW1984189849
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited2

Familiar and important though Aristoxenus is to students of Greek music, philosophers, so far as I can judge, have not always given him a fair run for his money. No one would call him a great philosopher; but his arguments illuminate important aspects of the controversies of the late fourth century, and reflect light backwards onto the different views not only of music, but also of science in general, which had been held and argued over during the previous hundred years. Nor is he merely a referee in other men's contests: his ideas have a philosophical as well as a musical originality which deserves recognition. Plainly a single paper cannot hope to cover all the philosophically important aspects of his work, and I have chosen one topic which I take to be central, his conception of the relations between music and αἴσθησις. More precisely, I shall be concerned with his views on the role of αἴσθησις in determining the nature of ἁρμονία. ἁρμονία is not the same thing as music, but is a part of it, as for instance is rhythm: and it so happens that ἁρμονία or τὸ ἡρμοσμένον is the main subject of those passages of his work which have come down to us in completest form, under the general heading of ἁρμονικὰ στοιχεȋα, Elementa Harmonica.

Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Literature · MOZART · Musical · Originality · Perception · Period (music) · Social science · Sociology · Subject (documents) · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Computer Science · Historical and Literary Studies · History · Philosophy

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