PHI 451 – Modern Western Esotericism
For millennia music has been attributed with the capability of expressing emotions and of sharing insight into the human condition. It was believed that, as a universal phenomenon, the human mind could interpret music and comprehend the inherent harmony in the universe. In the Middle Ages, music held an indispensable role not just found in monastery chant but in philosophy and theology as well. Can music, as Plato suggested, give us a glimpse into the cosmos and the world of the ideals? What value can music possess that can benefit humanity? These topics have been tackled by some of the greatest minds including Pythagoras, Aristotle, Boethius and Schopenhauer. The student will confront these and other fascinating subjects by being introduced to different music philosophies such as Formalism, Expressionism and Symbolism, and will benefit from the exposure to diverse music pieces that will assist in the perception of the music experience. Music will also be perceived from the point of view of Religion, Social Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Postmodernism. (3 credits)
For millennia music has been attributed with the capability of expressing emotions and of sharing insight into the human condition. It was believed that, as a universal phenomenon, the human mind could interpret music and comprehend the inherent harmony in the universe. In the Middle Ages, music held an indispensable role not just found in monastery chant but in philosophy and theology as well. Can music, as Plato suggested, give us a glimpse into the cosmos and the world of the ideals? What value can music possess that can benefit humanity? These topics have been tackled by some of the greatest minds including Pythagoras, Aristotle, Boethius and Schopenhauer. The student will confront these and other fascinating subjects by being introduced to different music philosophies such as Formalism, Expressionism and Symbolism, and will benefit from the exposure to diverse music pieces that will assist in the perception of the music experience. Music will also be perceived from the point of view of Religion, Social Philosophy, Aesthetics, and Postmodernism. (3 credits)