This course encourages every student engaged in a daily musical practice to reflect on its meaning. Focusing on Western art music as part of a rich philosophical tradition, the course offers an introduction to key texts and arguments in both historical and contemporary aesthetics (of music). Topics addressed include: What is a musical work? What is the relationship between music and society as a whole? What is the connection between language and sound? In what ways does music alter our notion of time? What is the specific relationship between music and emotions? How are language and music related? And more broadly, in what ways can music be meaningful? Special attention is given to concepts that bridge philosophy and music, such as time, space, sound and silence, repetition, expression and emotion, the ineffable, experience, taste, movement, value, and critique. We will engage with philosophical texts and ideas, but also consider musicians and writers who have reflected on (pop) music. Our focus is not limited to classical music; we will also turn our attention to world music, jazz, and popular music.

Reading Skills
- Develop an understanding of fundamental philosophical concepts and learn to articulate, analyze, and interpret them within both historical and contemporary frameworks.
- Cultivate, contextualize, and express a critical and reflective attitude.

Writing Skills
- Learn to write an academic text that is accessible to peers.
- Develop attention to both content and form: language (spelling, grammar, academic register), structure, and style.
- Learn to formulate a research question in writing and to develop a coherent thesis.
- Learn to apply insights and concepts to reflect critically on artistic practices.

Participation in Philosophical Conversations
- Learn to listen carefully to the arguments of fellow students and to respond critically and respectfully with well-reasoned arguments.
- Learn to participate in discussions by contributing clearly and concisely across various conversational formats.

The syllabus and required readings will be provided by the instructor. Materials will be available on Canvas or accessible online.

Philosophical Books and Articles
Hume, D. (1757). Of the standard of taste.
Jankélévitch, V. (2012). Vladimir Jankélévitch’s philosophy of music. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 65(1), 215–256. https://doi.org/10.1525/jams.2012.65.1.215
Levinson, J. (2015). What a musical work is. Oxford University Press.
Nietzsche, F. (2003). The birth of tragedy. Blackmask Online. (Original work published 1872)
Plato. (n.d.). Allegory of the cave (T. Sheehan, Trans.). In Republic (Book VII, 514a2–517a7).
Samama, L. (2015). The meaning of music. Amsterdam University Press.
Sayers, S. (n.d.). Plato’s Republic: An introduction (Chapter 11: The Line, the Cave, and Higher Education).
Schopenhauer, A. (n.d.). The world as will and representation (Vol. I, §52; Vol. II, §39).
Schopenhauer, A. (n.d.). Parerga and Paralipomena II: On judgment, criticism, approbation, and fame.
Schopenhauer, A. (n.d.). Parerga and Paralipomena II: On the metaphysics of the beautiful and aesthetics.
Scruton, R. (1999). The aesthetics of music (Chapters 3, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15). Oxford University Press.
Scruton, R. (2018). Beauty: A very short introduction (Chapter: Music and the moral life). Bloomsbury Academic.
Scruton, R. (2019). Understanding music. Bloomsbury Academic.

Online Encyclopedia
Zalta, E. N. (Ed.). (n.d.). Plato. In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. Retrieved 2024, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/

Journal Articles Available on Canvas
- Babich, B. (2019). Nietzsche’s aesthetic science and Hume’s standard of taste. In B. Babich (Ed.), Reading David Hume’s 'Of the Standard of Taste' (pp. 213–246). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110585575-012
- Bresnahan, A. (2015). Improvisation in the arts. Philosophy Compass, 10(9), 573–582. https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12251
- Butt, J. (2015). What is a ‘musical work’? Reflections on the origins of the ‘work concept’ in western art music. In A. Rahmatian (Ed.), Concepts of Music and Copyright: How Music Perceives Itself and How Copyright Perceives Music (pp. 1–22). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Freydberg, B. (2019). Plato and Hume’s philosophy of art. In B. Babich (Ed.), Reading David Hume’s 'Of the Standard of Taste' (pp. 263–280). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110585575-014
- Kivy, P. (1967). Hume’s standard of taste: Breaking the circle. The British Journal of Aesthetics, 7(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjaesthetics/7.1.57
- Smith, C. (1957). The philosophy of Vladimir Jankélévitch. Philosophy, 32(123), 315–324. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100034189

The instructor supports students in acquiring fundamental philosophical concepts and developing analytical and argumentative skills. Classes include collective discussion of texts and feedback on exercises and written assignments. Students may request additional guidance by appointment or via email, with targeted feedback on their reasoning and written expression. Course materials, assignments, and practical information are provided on Canvas.

There are no prerequisites for this course.