Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch
Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Philosophy Bibliography: leaves 77-79. This thesis develops a historical and conceptual framework for a future consideration of the question of the ethical effect of music, in relation to metaphysical accounts of music in the thought of Pytha...
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ftmemorialunivdc:oai:collections.mun.ca:theses5/23505 2023-05-15T17:23:28+02:00 Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch Osmond, Justin, 1986- Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Philosophy 2011 iv, 79 leaves. Image/jpeg; Application/pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/23505 Eng eng Electronic Theses and Dissertations (9.70 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Osmond_Justin.pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/23505 The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries Pythagoras Schopenhauer Arthur 1788-1860. Welt als Wille und Vorstellung. English Murdoch Iris Music--Moral and ethical aspects Metaphysics Ontology Text Electronic thesis or dissertation 2011 ftmemorialunivdc 2015-08-06T19:22:48Z Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Philosophy Bibliography: leaves 77-79. This thesis develops a historical and conceptual framework for a future consideration of the question of the ethical effect of music, in relation to metaphysical accounts of music in the thought of Pythagoras and Schopenhauer, and through careful examination of Iris Murdoch's ethics of attention. First, I describe the Pythagorean rationalist ontology and discuss its influence on Greek musical practise and ethical life. Music is here explained as a sensuous, practical encounter with abstract laws governing the whole cosmos. Second, I lay out the voluntarist ontology of Arthur Schopenhauer and discuss how he privileges music, over the other arts, as a direct manifestation of the inner nature of the world. The link between Pythagoras and Schopenhauer is that they both conceive of music as a mimetic art form which represents deep ontological structure. They both consider music to provide a vision of the ontological structure of the world. Since this envisioning is what Iris Murdoch calls attention, I am able to move from Pythagoras and Schopenhauer to situate music within Murdoch's claim we are initiated into the good life when art, i.e., any envisioning process, interrupts self-attention thus promotes attention toward others. Finally, using Lewis Rowell's more recent theory of ontology and mimetic music, I clarify how to approach music from a Murdochian standpoint, i.e., how to consider music as a mode of attention. I claim that music orients us towards others in a way which corresponds to the ontological vision represented in the music, and that the ethical effect of music must be further studied by outlining how music shapes our understanding of the structure of the world. Thesis Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) Murdoch ENVELOPE(-44.666,-44.666,-60.783,-60.783) |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland: Digital Archives Initiative (DAI) |
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ftmemorialunivdc |
language |
English |
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Pythagoras Schopenhauer Arthur 1788-1860. Welt als Wille und Vorstellung. English Murdoch Iris Music--Moral and ethical aspects Metaphysics Ontology |
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Pythagoras Schopenhauer Arthur 1788-1860. Welt als Wille und Vorstellung. English Murdoch Iris Music--Moral and ethical aspects Metaphysics Ontology Osmond, Justin, 1986- Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
topic_facet |
Pythagoras Schopenhauer Arthur 1788-1860. Welt als Wille und Vorstellung. English Murdoch Iris Music--Moral and ethical aspects Metaphysics Ontology |
description |
Thesis (M.A.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2011. Philosophy Bibliography: leaves 77-79. This thesis develops a historical and conceptual framework for a future consideration of the question of the ethical effect of music, in relation to metaphysical accounts of music in the thought of Pythagoras and Schopenhauer, and through careful examination of Iris Murdoch's ethics of attention. First, I describe the Pythagorean rationalist ontology and discuss its influence on Greek musical practise and ethical life. Music is here explained as a sensuous, practical encounter with abstract laws governing the whole cosmos. Second, I lay out the voluntarist ontology of Arthur Schopenhauer and discuss how he privileges music, over the other arts, as a direct manifestation of the inner nature of the world. The link between Pythagoras and Schopenhauer is that they both conceive of music as a mimetic art form which represents deep ontological structure. They both consider music to provide a vision of the ontological structure of the world. Since this envisioning is what Iris Murdoch calls attention, I am able to move from Pythagoras and Schopenhauer to situate music within Murdoch's claim we are initiated into the good life when art, i.e., any envisioning process, interrupts self-attention thus promotes attention toward others. Finally, using Lewis Rowell's more recent theory of ontology and mimetic music, I clarify how to approach music from a Murdochian standpoint, i.e., how to consider music as a mode of attention. I claim that music orients us towards others in a way which corresponds to the ontological vision represented in the music, and that the ethical effect of music must be further studied by outlining how music shapes our understanding of the structure of the world. |
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Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dept. of Philosophy |
format |
Thesis |
author |
Osmond, Justin, 1986- |
author_facet |
Osmond, Justin, 1986- |
author_sort |
Osmond, Justin, 1986- |
title |
Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
title_short |
Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
title_full |
Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
title_fullStr |
Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
title_full_unstemmed |
Music and ethics : Pythagoras, Schopenhauer, and Iris Murdoch |
title_sort |
music and ethics : pythagoras, schopenhauer, and iris murdoch |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/23505 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-44.666,-44.666,-60.783,-60.783) |
geographic |
Murdoch |
geographic_facet |
Murdoch |
genre |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland studies University of Newfoundland |
op_source |
Paper copy kept in the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University Libraries |
op_relation |
Electronic Theses and Dissertations (9.70 MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/theses/Osmond_Justin.pdf http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/theses5/id/23505 |
op_rights |
The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. |
_version_ |
1766112469907931136 |