Plato and Aristotle on the Ends of Music

Abstract

GREEK myths and legends tell of the wondrous effects of music. Traditionally, in ancient Greece, music was included in education and was part of reli- gious and civic ceremonies. Music was an integral part of men's lives and readily accepted by them. YeL when Greek philosophers attempted to go beyond the levels of myth and custom, they discovered, as Aristotle says, that "it is not easy ta determine the nature of music or why anyone should have a knowledge of it.·· 1 Not only is a musical piece intrinsicly complex, but wh en it is seen as related to man and his life even greater complexities enter into the picture. Plato and Aristotle, the tirst Greek philosophers to examine the ends ofmusic, recognized this and placed most of their discussions of music in their political works. There they examined the relationship which music has to the common good, particularly its place in education. They saw music as allied to the intricacies of man's nature and the perfection of nature. THE