On Wednesday 19 November 2008, Stephen Arndt rattled on the keyboard: > On music not only evoking feelings but also forming the character of the > listener, see also (prior to Quintilian) Plato, "Republic," 376d-403c, > particularly 398c-403c. Music, however, at least in the Latin tradition, > was part of the "quadrivium" and thus one of the seven liberal arts, > understood as pursuits worthy of a free man as opposed to the mechanical > arts of a slave (cf. Augustine's treatise "De musica" or Isidore's > "Etymologiae.") (The "quadrivium" is also treated more or less explicitly > in the Republic, though the "trivium" is present there only more generally > as dialectic.) Despite its mathematical basis, as discovered already by the > Pythagoreans, music was not considered a science in the Aristotelian sense > of "episteme." > > Just a few recollections from my former life as a philosophy professor (I > hope that my early onset of senile amnesia hasn't caused me to misremember > anything). > > Stephen Arndt
well, it depends on what kind of character forming Plato was referring to and for whom... Plato had terrible ideas of society structuring and music education was certainly not for women. The guardians/soldiers as most valued citizens needed of course this education (see below). well, in a modern context perhaps not that bad........: give the soldiers for Afghanistan/Irac some cultural 'substance', perhaps they will start to understand something of the culture in the countries where they are to keep "peace". ;-) Your reference, I assume, is the following text (sorry, this is from internet which contains a typical 'christian' translation with references to single "God", a decent edition is at home): ---------------- "And therefore, I said, Glaucon, musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the sound, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful: and also because he who has received this true education of the inner being will most shrewdly perceive omissions or faults in art and nature, and with a true taste, while he praises and rejoices over and receives into his soul the good, and becomes noble and good, he will justify blame and hate the bad, now in the days of his youth, even before he will recognize and salute the friend with whom his education has made him long familiar. Yes, he said, I quite agree with you in thinking that it is for such reasons that they should be trained in music………. Even so, as I maintain, neither we nor the guardians, whom we say that we have to educate, can ever become musical until we and they know the essential forms of temperance, courage, liberality, magnanimity, and their kindred, as well as the contrary forms, in all their combinations, and can recognize then and their images wherever they are found, not slighting them either in small things or great, but believing them all to be within the sphere of one art and study. Most assuredly. And then nobility of soul is observed in harmonious union with beauty of form, and both are cast from the same mould, that will be the fairest of sights to him who has en eye to see it? The fairest indeed. And the fairest is also the loveliest? That may be assumed. And it is with human beings who most display such harmony that a musical man will be most in love; but he will not love any who do not possess it. That is true, he replied, if the deficiency be in the soul; but if there be any bodily defect he will be patient of it, and may even approve it." Taco (another philosopher, although certainly not a Greek philosophy specialist) To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
