Philosophical Perspectives on Music

Bowman displays a wide knowledge of the history of philosophy of music and familiarity with several important contemporary perspectives ... it introduces a wide range of positions. Another valuable feature of the book is that each philosopher's views on music are put in the context of his other beliefs ... Bowman provides accurate accounts of the positions he describes. The book is the product of considerable scholarship. Another plus is that Bowman is surely right to think that students can not appreciate a philosopher's views on music without some knowledge of his philosophical system ... Bowman is to be commended for undertaking to introduce musicians to philosophy of music. He believes, and is right to believe that unexamined music is not worth performing ... ... sophisticated students can be referred to this volume in some circumstances. James O. Young, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Winter 1999 (57:1) Bowman's volume provides a useful survey of philosophical aesthetics of music Andy Hamilton, Durham University, British Jrnl of Aesthetics, vol 39, no 3, 1999 a deeply pluralist book ... Wayne Bowman's pluralism does not lead him to produce a rootless, or even routeless, book, since he still manages to accept that the philosophy of music has had a history Anthony Pryer, Journal of the Royal Musical Association, 124 (1999) Bowman's method of treating his material is well considered. The scope of discussion is admirable. About twenty different views of music are given a thorough presentation ... a unique source for anyone interested in the nature of music. Pentti Maattanen, British Journal of Music Education, Vol 16 No 3, 1999

• Acknowledgments 1. Music and Philosophy Aims and Assumptions Characteristic Concerns of Philosophical Discourse The Value of Music Philosophy to the Musician Music from Divergent Perspectives Perspectivism Versus the God's-eye View 2. Music as Imitation Appearance and Reality, Deception and Truth: Plato's Music Philosophy The Continuing Greek Legacy: Aristotle Neoplatonic Elaborations 3. Music as Idea Rationalism and Empiricism Kant: 'Aesthetic' Experience, Beauty, and Taste Schiller: 'Aesthetic' Education Hegel: The Ascent Toward Absolute Idea Schopenhauer: Lifting the Rational Veil 4. Music as Autonomous Form Ancient Precursors: Aristoxenus, Phildemus, Sextus Hanslick: Tonally Moving Forms Gurney: The Power of Sound Leonard B. Myer: Expectation, Emotion, and Musical Meaning 5. Music as Symbol Langer: Conceiving the Patterns of Sentience Goodman: Music and World Making Nattiez: Signs, Reference, and Infinite Musical Interpretants 6. Music as Experienced Phenomenology: Origins and Assumptions Merleau-Ponty: The Bodily Basis of Knowing and Being Dufrenne: The Musical 'Quasi-Subject' Clifton: The Geometry of Musical Experience Burrows: Sonorously Experiencing the World Stubley: The Transformative Power of Musical Performance Music as Embodied Experience: The Body in the Mind 7. Music as Social and Political Force Adorno: The Critical Social Function of Music Attali: The Political Economy of Music 8. Contemporary Pluralist Perspectives Feminist Perspectives Music from Feminist Perspectives The Postmodern Ethos Notes Bibliography Subject Index Name Index