I am very embarrassed to learn that I just wrote to Arto in what should have
been a reply to Taco. I guess the senile amnesia is progressing more rapidly
than I thought.
Stephen Arndt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Taco Walstra" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Stephen Arndt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "lutelist"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 12:50 AM
Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: The Online Lute Player
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)
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