Partindo do pensamento de Platão, mas especificamente em sua obra A República, em que o filósofo argumenta que a música e a poesia dos gregos não podem ser apenas estudadas como um fenômeno estético, porque elas se articulam intimamente com a moral e com a visão de mundo daquela sociedade, pretende-se compreender a relação entre logos e mousiké na cultura grega.

In chapter 12 ofBirth of Tragedy, Nietzsche describes Socrates as the new Orpheus, who rises up against Dionysus and murders tragedy:… in league with Socrates, Euripides dared to be the herald of a new kind of artistic creation. If this caused the older tragedy to perish, then aesthetic Socratism is the murderous principle; but in so far as the fight was directed against the Dionysiac nature of the older art, we may identify Socrates as the opponent of Dionysos, the new (...) Orpheus who rises up against Dionysos and who, although fated to be torn apart by the maenads of the Athenian court of justice, nevertheless forces the great and mighty god himself to flee. As before, when he fled from Lycurgus, King of the Edonians, Dionysos now sought refuge in the depths of the sea, namely in the mystical waters of a secret cult which gradually spread across the entire world., 64. (shrink)

La _mousikē_ (μουσική) es el núcleo del programa educativo que Aristóteles diseña en la _Política_ para el mejor régimen. El filósofo le asigna a esta disciplina diferentes funciones y propone una consideración jerárquica de ellas. Aunque men­ciona explícitamente tres propósitos musi­cales, a saber, el juego, la educa­ción y el ocio, en el últi­mo capítulo de la obra refiere a la _katharsis_ (κάθαρσις) como una función diferen­ciada, cuyo vínculo con las restantes no precisa (_Pol_. 1341b38-40). Mi propósito en el presente trabajo (...) es mostrar que resulta proble­mático determinar el lugar que ocupa la _katharsis_ en el esquema de las funciones musicales que Aristó­teles bosqueja en _Pol_. VIII 3, 5-7, en espe­cial, en relación con la función lúdica y con la educativa. En tal sentido, intentaré demostrar que su posición oscila entre ambas y que, en el caso particular de los ciuda­danos del mejor régimen, la función ética es condición de la _katharsis_. Con vistas a ello, analizaré los pasajes de _Pol_. VIII 5-7 en los que el filósofo tácita o explícita­mente refiere a este término, con especial aten­ción a la valiosa y singular considera­ción general sobre su signifi­cado, que ofrece en _Pol_. 1342a5-15. (shrink)

Em Leis, a mousikḗ é restabelecida na constituição da cidade (Magnésia) como um instrumento para a educação dos cidadãos. Segundo o Estrangeiro Ateniense, a regulação e preservação das formas corretas da mousikḗ, através de mélos e skhē̂ma, é também responsável pela manutenção da estabilidade cultural e política de Magnésia. Neste contexto, Platão enuncia um elogio à arte egípcia, que teria mantido o seu estilo e, consequentemente, a política egípcia estáveis por um longo tempo. Este artigo apresentará uma tradução do trecho (...) 653c — 654a e três interpretações contemporâneas deste elogio. Por fim, as interpretações expostas serão avaliadas e uma possibilidade de aproximação entre o elogio platônico e a própria arte egípcia será sugerida, considerando suas prováveis funções sociais, religiosas e políticas. (shrink)

The problem of interpreting music’s function or role is scrutinized by grounding music’s significance through a selected reading of Platonic philosophy and a reinterpretation of the concept of “pharmakon” familiar to ancient Greeks, and in particular, the Athenians. Views on both mousike and the artistic practice of music in that era are taken into account. The “pharmakon” is analyzed through a concept of love as a harmonizing force and a variety of contexts are explicated, showing that it concerns any object (...) that gives rise to beneficial and detrimental effects. It also changes mental states or the manner of thinking in such a way that the value of the pharmakon is undecidable a priori and dependent upon an axiology of anticipation. Plato’s metaphysics and philosophy of music can be read to show that music can be both a poison and a remedy in regard to the ways it is used, which is analogous to drugs, medicine, or technological entities such as writing. In this context attention is given to the problem of mania, and how music can be both a force that gives rise to such a condition as well as a technique of alleviating it, since it is a tool for manipulating the intrapsychic dialogue of the embodied soul. -/- Znaczenie muzyki w nawiązaniu do Platona i pojęcia „farmakon" Problematyka interpretacji funkcji lub roli muzyki jest badana poprzez ugruntowanie znaczenia muzyki w wybranych wątkach filozofii Platona i reinterpretacji pojęcia „farmakon” bliskiego starożytnym Grekom, a zwłaszcza Ateńczykom. Uwzględnia się poglądy zarówno odnośnie mousike jak i ówczesnej praktyki artystycznej. „Farmakon” analizowany jest poprzez koncepcję miłości jako harmonizującej siły oraz przez różne konteksty, które są wyeksplikowane, aby wskazać na to, że dotyczy jakiegokolwiek przedmiotu, który powoduje korzystne jak i szkodliwe efekty. Zmienia także stany umysłowe lub sposób myślenia tak, że wartość farmakonu jest nierozstrzygalna a priori i powiązana z aksjologią antycypacji. Metafizyka i filozofia muzyki Platona może być czytana w sposób ukazujący, że muzyka może być zarówno trucizną jak i środkiem zaradczym, w zależności od formy jej użytkowania, co jest analogiczne z narkotykami, medycyną i technicznymi bytami takimi jak pismo. W tym kontekście zwraca się uwagę na problem szału i tego, że muzyka może być zarówno siłą, która wywołuje ów stan, jak i środkiem załagodzenia go, ponieważ jest ona narzędziem manipulacji intrapsychicznego dialogu ucieleśnionej duszy. (shrink)

Aristóteles ocupa un lugar muy destacado en la historia de la reflexión filosófica sobre las emociones. A pesar de la innumerable variedad de interpretaciones a las que el estudio de este tema en su pensamiento ha dado lugar en las últimas cuatro décadas, prácticamente no se ha considerado el papel y la importancia que la habituación emocional tiene en el programa educativo musical del mejor régimen, el cual Aristóteles bosqueja en el último libro de la Política. Precisamente, el propósito del (...) presente artículo es analizar el proceso emocional que esta disciplina pone en juego y determinar cuál es su propósito ético-político. La función ética de la mousiké permite el desarrollo de la virtud por medio de un proceso de habituación de los niños, el cual se sustenta en la influencia emocional que caracteriza esta disciplina. Mediante el análisis de los dos breves pasajes en los que Aristóteles alude a la influencia emocional de la mousiké y la consideración de las referencias etnográfico-musicales tácitas y explícitas que aparecen en Política VIII 5-7 intentaré mostrar que esta función musical apunta a lograr el control de las emociones de los ciudadanos durante su infancia y su “curación” en la vida adulta. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Reviewed by:Why music? The Foundations of Music Education from Plato until Today by Øivind VarkøyDaniela BartelsØivind Varkøy, Warum Musik? Zur Begründung des Musikunterrichts von Platon bis heute [Why music? The Foundations of Music Education from Plato until Today], Stefan Gies, trans. with the assistance of Hanne Fossum (Innsbruck, Esslingen, Bern-Belp: Helbling, 2016)Øivind Varkøy's book Why music? was first published in Norway in 1993 and translated into Swedish three years (...) later. In 2016, a newly revised edition was published in German. This review refers to the German edition and a special focus will be on the third chapter, because Varkøy's convincing interpretation of Kant's theory of aesthetic judgement presents a counter narrative to other interpretations of this theory that have been in circulation in North America for quite some time.In the introduction, Varkøy explains that it is his intention to present a diverse array of reasons for teaching music. He also explains why (future) music teachers should reflect on these reasons and the possible values of their professional actions: "A clear stance on the value of one's own work will have a positive effect on one's professional identity and the psychological and physical well-being."1 In the first chapter, he takes the readers back to the world of "the old Greeks"—an [End Page 224] expression that is often used in Europe—and he specifically addresses the values Plato and Aristotle have ascribed to music. The chapter starts with the mythos about mousiké as a gift from the gods and Varkøy explains that this term used to stand for much more than music. It included diverse forms of art such as language, poetry, and dance which were seen as means that can express order and beauty as well as a realization of harmonia which "holds the world together."2 As far as philosophies of music education are concerned, both Plato and Aristotle stress that music education serves the character formation of young people and both are quite strict concerning the way music should be taught to the young. To give an example, Plato rejects that the aulos is used in schools, because it is a woodwind instrument that served as a means of intoxication in rituals. Plato's point was that it would make the youth soft and therefore unable to contribute to the establishment of a 'good' state system. Varkøy stresses that Plato did not differentiate between the aesthetic and the ethical dimension of music, since the term kalokagathia stands for both 'the beautiful' and 'the good.' It almost seems as if Varkøy had the North American debate between the so-called 'aesthetic' and 'praxial educators' in mind when he wrote this chapter, and it is a pity that he does not go into more detail concerning the terms 'the beautiful' and 'the good.' On the other hand, he gives a clear summary of the different functions Aristotle has ascribed to music. He emphasizes that Aristotle mentions the three functions of music as a source of well-being and enjoyment, as a means of character formation, and as an intellectual activity that can lead to a "higher level" of experience.3 In Aristotle's thinking, all of these functions are of value. Concerning the functions and values of music that are discussed, Varkøy abstains from passing his own judgment which leaves a welcome space for one's own thinking.In the second chapter, Varkøy focuses on the functions of music between the time of early Christianity and the time of Comenius. He puts forward an intriguing argument when he states that the Church Father Augustine, who saw the fact that people can enjoy music just for pleasure as a danger, has already pointed to the notion of music as a phenomenon with its own, intrinsic value. At the end of this chapter, Varkøy asks the readers to reflect on Comenius' distinction between "useful" knowledge and knowledge that serves "the way of making one's living."4 He returns to this distinction later on in his book.In the chapter "Progress and Reason," the focus is on... (shrink)

Ao longo da descrição da paideía pela mousik é e gymnastik é proposta por Sócrates na República , mais de uma vez foi considerado que ela concorre para a persuasão dos homens sobre certas crenças que eles deveriam ter. Porém, mais do que as referências explícitas às relações entre poesia e persuasão, o que se deve de ter em vista é que a poesia dirigida aos que são educados na cidade é moldada pelo conhecimento que Sócrates demonstra ter dos elementos (...) da alma humana e de suas relações. A sofisticada "psicologia" apresentada na República é o ponto de partida para uma intervenção na alma dos homens, através da paideía , que visa à ordenação dos elementos constituintes de suas almas de modo a torná-los mais propensos a aceitar as leis e as prescrições que dirigem o modo de vida da cidade. Nesse sentido, pode-se dizer que a poesia, que faz parte dessa paideía , visa à persuasão. (shrink)

Erôs, Song and Philosophy in Plato suggests alternative paths of understanding the true Philosophical Muse in Plato’s works. Through the discussion of certain Platonic dialogues, it interweaves erôs, mousikê, and philosophy to unravel new insights into Plato’s philosophical thought and tension of rejecting and accepting the established culture.

El origen y significado de la “inspiración poética” ha sido siempre objeto de considerable controversia. Lo que los críticos no preguntan muy a menudo es: ¿cuáles son las palabras o frases que los textos poéticos tempranos, previos al Período Clásico, usaron para expresar el genio poético o mousikē que nosotros asociamos con la inspiración en la poesía griega temprana? En este ensayo examino, en primer lugar y principalmente, tanto la terminología empleada por Homero y Hesíodo para expresar la experiencia (...) poética, como el rol del aoidoso cantor/poeta en sus descripciones respectivas. Sostengo no solo que se confunden en Homero y Hesíodo las nociones físicas y figurativas de “inspiración”, es decir, que no son diferenciadas por los poetas de manera consciente, sino que la poesía misma debe haber sido vista por Homero y Hesíodo como un don divino –de acuerdo a la voluntad de los dioses–. También sostengo que diversas etimologías y contextos sugieren fuertemente que un tipo de mania o posesión extática fue una parte importante del proceso poético temprano. El trabajo aquí presentado es una versión abreviada de un proyecto de investigación más amplio que busca examinar el origen y desarrollo de las actitudes pre-platónicas, platónicas y post-platónicas hacia la inspiración y la alegoría. --- “Some Reflections on the Early Greek Notion of Poetic Inspiration”. The origin and meaning of “poetic inspiration” has always been the subject of considerable controversy. What critics rarely ask are: what words or phrases did the early poetic texts use to express the poetic genius or mousikē we associate with inspiration in the early Greek poetry, and thus prior to the Classical period? In this paper, I examine first and foremost both the terminology employed by Homer and Hesiod to express the poetic experience and the role of the aoidos or singer/poet in their respective accounts. I argue that not only are the physical and figurative notions of “inspiration” in Homer and Hesiod confused, that is, they are not consciously distinguished for the poets, but poetry itself for Homer and Hesiod must have been seen as a divine gift –as willed by the gods. I also argue that a number of etymologies and contexts strongly suggest that a type of mania or ecstatic possession was very much a part of the early poetic process. The work presented here is an abridged part of a larger research project that seeks to examine the origin and development of pre-Platonic, Platonic and postPlatonic attitudes toward inspiration and allegory. (shrink)

Em meio ao tempo e ao ritmo estabelecidos pela dinâmica social da atualidade, caracterizada por uma paisagem sonora que conduz ao desapego e ao distanciamento afetivo nas relações, exaurindo os próprios sentidos da vida humana, este trabalho pretende retomar o sentido ético da escuta como condição primordial de acesso à verdade, uma escuta que, para além do simples ouvir, permita espreitar os sons que constituem a singularidade dos sujeitos e do mundo e dão a tônica da sua existência. Estabelece relações (...) entre o Logos segundo Heráclito, música encantatória no seu sentido original que, por ser linguagem, comunica e diz algo, e a mousiké grega cujo poder de en-cantamento traz aos sujeitos a verdade como voz que orienta a vida. Destaca as artes da existência apontadas por Foucault na epiméleia heautou associada a melos e melodia, aquilo que canta e encanta desde algum lugar do sujeito e o apela a se interessar por determinada pessoa, objeto ou acontecimento. Dessa forma, a verdade do sujeito é sonora, manifestase como linguagem, como canto que se dá, se doa, na condição de escuta dos sujeitos dispostos, na sua abertura, a ouvi-la. À luz do pensamento de Sloterdijk, identifica as esferas sonoras como o domínio onde as palavras primigênias, fundadoras do ser, ressoam revelando sua origem e essência. Coloca a música como uma arte de viver que atua como elemento reorganizador do conhecimento que construímos sobre o mundo e sobre nós mesmos. Focaliza as ressonâncias formativas do gesto de escutar e silenciar como parte de uma disposição [Stimmung] vital para lidar com conflitos e tensões de nossa época. Palavras-chave: Logos. Música. Escuta. Acolhimento do outro. (shrink)