A History of Western Philosophy of Music

James O. Young (University of Victoria, British Columbia)

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English

Cambridge University Press
22 May 2025

Theory of music & musicology; Philosophy

This book presents a comprehensive, accessible survey of Western philosophy of music from Pythagoras to the present. Its narrative traces themes and schools through history, in a sequence of five chapters that survey the ancient, medieval, early modern, modern and contemporary periods. Its wide-ranging coverage includes medieval Islamic thinkers, Continental and analytic thinkers, and neglected female thinkers such as Vernon Lee (Violet Paget). All aspects of the philosophy of music are discussed, including music and the cosmos, music's value, music's relation to the other arts, the problem of opera, the origins of musical genius, music's emotional impact, the moral effects of music, the ontology of musical works, and the relevance of music's historical context. The volume will be valuable for students and scholars in philosophy and musicology, and all who are interested in the ways in which philosophers throughout history have thought about music.

By: James O. Young (University of Victoria British Columbia)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781108721936
ISBN 10: 1108721931
Pages: 394
Publication Date: 22 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

James O. Young is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Victoria. His books include Art and Knowledge (2001), Cultural Appropriation and the Arts (2008), and Critique of Pure Music (2014) and Radically Rethinking Copyright in the Arts (2020).

Reviews for A History of Western Philosophy of Music

'This is a valuable book for those seeking a clear, well-sourced framing narrative that grounds current developments in the philosophy of music in a broad historical context. … Recommended.' L. Bernhardt, Choice 'James O. Young's A History of Western Philosophy of Music is a comprehensive survey that embraces and interweaves a breathtaking amount of theoretical resources back to Boethius and before. Music philosophers and musicologists should run to get a copy. It is that useful and that good.' Jennifer Judkins, The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism