Greek myths and legends tell many stories about the wonders of music. In fact, in ancient Greece music was part of basic education and even religious or civic gatherings. Plato, the Greek philosopher, considered music special and devotes broadened attention to the subject in his works Republic and in Laws. In this article we discover what Plato has to say about music and its impact on humans.
What did Plato think about the effect of music on the soul and body?
According to Plato, music is able to bypass reason and penetrate into the very core of the self, causing great impact on the character: “because more than anything else rhythm and harmony find their way into the inmost soul and take strongest hold upon it”.
Ancient Greeks also believed, that music that travels with air will enter the body via the ears – as gate to the soul. Then the brain processes the sound, which eventually will be transmitted throughout the body with the blood. This way the effect of the music will reach each organ and finally the soul.
Even without any knowledge about biochemistry, ancient greeks had amazingly precize view on this subject. Today we already know, that the brain reacts to a certain type of sound with the corresponding bio-reaction that is indeed transferred on to the body.
What is the function of music in child education?
Plato in his work Laws, continues: “All young creatures are naturally full of tire, and can keep neither their limbs nor their voices quiet. They are perpetually breaking into disorderly cries and jumps, but whereas no other animal develops a sense of order of either kind, mankind forms a solitary exception. Order in movement is called rhythm, order in articulation-the blending of acute with grave- pitch, and the name for the combination of the two is choric art.”
In his reasoning, in the beginning children should receive two kinds of educations. One is gymnastics to develop the body, second is music to form, enrich and strengthen the soul (self). These together will result in a balanced person. Plato concludes that music can move the listener emotionally and make him feel right; thus, pushing someone to good virtues.
He underlines his logic by the example of a mother who lulls her child during the night. The proper approach is not silence and calm, but a rocking motion and a humming noise. This is like dancing and singing, external influences that finally will internalize and suppress the agitation or fear.
|Related: Aristotle on music
How music will form the personality?
Plato sees the power of music in its ability to imitate emotions. In the Republic he writes how a listener can recognize all kinds of emotions, such as “soberness, courage, liberality, and high-mindedness, and ail their kindred and their opposites, too,”. When someone listens to music eventually will tune to its emotional movement and go along with it. This way a good music will not only move the listener, but move him to a good (virtue), ordered emotional state. Bad music can have the opposite effect by having insufficient or too strong impact; or by moving someone towards weakness or evil.
There are further lasting effects on the personality. If a child learns to let emotions go in a measured way, according to good music, feeling good will also have a proper measure and not go into extremes. In other words, good music can calibrate the ‘feel good level’ of a person! This sense for good then will extend to other areas, becomes natural (a sense) even without knowing good or bad (in case of a child, for example). Finally, the last impact of good music is the way it prepares the mind for learning. Plato argues that music will arouse desire to know and at the same time will sharpen the perceptions.
Will taste in music reveal the true personality?
So, why is this universal phenomenon happening, that humans enjoy music? According to Plato all humans has the ability to perceive and enjoy rhythm and melody, but in this we are not all the same. Each individual is attracted to certain rhythms and melodies. In his interpretation the quality of a music can be measured by the audience that enjoys it. He writes: “We must take it that the finest music is that which delights the best man, the properly educated, that above all, which pleases the one man who is supreme in goodness and education.”
|Related: Pythagoras on music
Conclusion
The summarize the view of Plato on music we can find three benefits of listening to good music, especially in childhood. First, music has an impact on emotions, moves it toward good virtues. Second, it gives measured pleasure, forming the soul to have natural attraction to good and beautiful. Third, will sharpen perception, making learning easier and deeper.
