Music of Our Lives

By Kathleen Marie Higgins

Book Overview

Although many of the world's musical traditions recognize the positive value of music for ethical life, the Western philosophical tradition has largely forgotten this idea. The dominance of formalism in musical aesthetics has encouraged this abandonment of the idea that music has an ethical dimension. Greater attention to musical experience and to the way that context affects the meaning that music has to performers and listeners helps to bring music's ethical potential into focus. In The Music of Our Lives, Kathleen Higgins argues that the arguments that Plato used to defend the ethical value of music are still applicable today. Music encourages ethically valuable attitudes and behavior, provides practice in skills that are valuable in ethical life, and symbolizes ethical ideals and the possibility of interpersonal harmony. In these ways it develops our ability to live well and to think clearly about our ethical situation. Music provides a model for the good human life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739120859
• ISBN13: 9780739120859
• Release Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Music and ethics

A psychiatrist and amateur cellist, I salute Prof. Higgins for clearing the philosphical brush from the field of ethics and writing a sophisticated but clear and humane book for general readers. I learned much about 19th century thoughts and prejudices (Hanslick, especially), about sclerotic narrowing of philosophical categories, and the liberating but also disciplining aspects of music. Thank you!