Philosophy of music in the Neoplatonic tradition : theories of music and harmony in Proclus' commentaries on Plato's 'Timaeus' and 'Republic'
My thesis examines philosophical questions about music according to Neoplatonism: what is music and what is the place of music in the structure of reality. I focus my examination of Neoplatonic music on the philosopher ProcIus. For ProcIus, music is something much richer than the phenomenon usually called music. My thesis studies this wide notion of music: music as art and as science, and furthermore music as a principle of order and harmony in the universe. Accordingly, music is intimately related to metaphysical principles: the WorldSoul and the Intellect. In Chapter I, I concentrate on the explanation of the mathematical proportions that are the basis for the musical scale of the Timaeus of Plato, according to ProcIus' commentary on this dialogue. Secondly, in Chapters II and III, I study ProcIus' metaphysical interpretation of the scale, understood as a symbol of the hierarchy of levels in Neoplatonism. In Chapter IV, I study what is the value of music for human life, in Proclus' commentary on the Republic. Neoplatonism is a philosophy of Unity, and in this context, music and hannony are a way of returning to Unity from multiplicity and division. I study how music can guide the human soul to come back
Moro Tornese, Sebastian Francisco
Philosophy of music in the Neoplatonic tradition : theories of music and harmony in Proclus' commentaries on Plato's 'Timaeus' and 'Republic'. My thesis examines philosophical questions about music according to Neoplatonism: what is music and what is the place of music in the structure of reality. I focus my examination of Neoplatonic music on the philosopher ProcIus. For ProcIus, music is something much richer than the phenomenon usually called music. My thesis studies this wide notion of music: music as art and as science, and furthermore music as a principle of order and harmony in the universe. Accordingly, music is intimately related to metaphysical principles: the WorldSoul and the Intellect. In Chapter I, I concentrate on the explanation of the mathematical proportions that are the basis for the musical scale of the Timaeus of Plato, according to ProcIus' commentary on this dialogue. Secondly, in Chapters II and III, I study ProcIus' metaphysical interpretation of the scale, understood as a symbol of the hierarchy of levels in Neoplatonism. In Chapter IV, I study what is the value of music for human life, in Proclus' commentary on the Republic. Neoplatonism is a philosophy of Unity, and in this context, music and hannony are a way of returning to Unity from multiplicity and division. I study how music can guide the human soul to come back
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