IART 5401 - World Aesthetic Ideas

The seminar explores the musical-aesthetic thought outside the Western world, from ancient sources to contemporary debates. The readings include mythological, religious, literary, and philosophical texts, both traditional and modern. The areas of musical creativity that will be discussed comprise classical traditions and popular genres, including the uses of music in mass entertainment, ideological propaganda, and devotional practices. Literary, visual, and video materials will help illustrate the attitudes towards music in these cultures. In addition, the seminar will pursue a methodological theme of considerable urgency: Do the existing historical and contemporary approaches do justice to the uniqueness and complexity of music-philosophical theorizing in the cultures of, for example, India, China, or Bali? What kind of an approach would allow us to avoid the pitfalls of comparativism, Orientalism, and distorting biases in general? What kind of a philosophical perspective can assure at once a meaningful multilateral dialogue among world musical cultures, and their resistance to the levelling effects of globalization? A variety of texts, both by authors from a relevant cultural tradition and by Euro-American commentators, will serve as a platform for addressing these questions.

Requisites

Credit Hours: 4.0
Repeat/Retake Information: May not be retaken.

Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 seminar

Eligible grades: A-F,WP,WF,FN,FS,AU,I