American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
45
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ajsshr
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue04 2025
PAGE NO.
45-47
10.37547/ajsshr/Volume05Issue04-08
Music as One of The Philosophical Sciences
Yuldasheva Aynisa Abdullaevna
UzSIAC, Acting Associate professor at department of “Vocal”, Uzbekistan
Received:
12 February 2025;
Accepted:
13 March 2025;
Published:
10 April 2025
Abstract:
Throughout human history, music has been not only an artistic phenomenon but aslo an object of
philosophical thought. Its nature, functions, and influence on consciousness and sociyeti have intrigued
philosophers from ancient times to the present day. This article analyzes the main philosophical concepts related
to music, its status, aesthetic aspects, its connection with aesthetics, and its role in shaping cultural and moral
values. Special attention is given to the impact of music on worldview formation, its significance in cultural and
personal development, and the philosophy of Eastern music.
Keywords:
Music, philosophy, aesthetics, consciousness, art, Eastern music, culture, music pedagogy.
Introduction:
Music is a universal phenomenon
present in all cultures. Its perception does not require
knowledge of language or complex symbolic systems,
but at the same time it has a powerful impact on human
consciousness. For centuries, philosophers have tried
to answer the questions: what is music? How does it
affect a person? Why does it evoke emotions? Ancient
philosophers considered music in the context of
harmony and cosmic order. Medieval thinkers studied
it from the standpoint of theology, linking it with divine
design. Then the philosophy of music shifted towards
aesthetics, and in the 20th century it acquired an
interdisciplinary character, combining philosophy,
psychology, sociology and cognitive sciences. This
article analyzes the main philosophical approaches to
understanding music, its place in aesthetics and social
philosophy. One of the most ancient philosophical
views on music was proposed by the Pythagoreans.
They believed that music is a manifestation of the
harmony of the spheres - the mathematical order
inherent in the Universe. Musical intervals such as the
octave, fifth, and fourth were discovered to be
mathematically precise ratios, which became the basis
for subsequent philosophical and musical theories.
Plato argued that music had a profound effect on the
human soul and could shape its moral character. He
proposed the use of certain musical modes for
education, while other musical forms, in his opinion,
should be limited, since they could corrupt the soul.
Aristotle, on the other hand, viewed music as a means
of purifying the emotions. He wrote that music could
educate character and develop the capacity for
aesthetic pleasure [1-383].
In the 19th century, Arthur Schopenhauer proposed a
radically new understanding of music. In his work The
World as Will and Representation, he argued that
music is the purest expression of the will, the
fundamental force underlying all existence. Unlike
painting and literature, which represent the world
through images, music, in his opinion, directly
expresses the essence of being. Music, in his opinion,
does not need intermediaries in the form of concepts
or forms, therefore it affects a person more deeply than
other types of art. Its ability to awaken emotions and
an intuitive understanding of the world makes it the
most metaphysical of all the arts. In the Confucian
tradition, music plays a key role in education. Confucius
argued that music, like ritual, helps to establish
harmony in society. He distinguished between
"correct" music, ennobling the soul, and "destructive"
music, leading to moral decline. Eastern scholars in
their books and encyclopedias initially considered
music to be one of the subjects of philosophy and,
undoubtedly, they took into account the artistic,
aesthetic and educational role of music. During the
heyday of the culture of the Arab Caliphate (10th
century), the tendency to conceptualize the science of
music in the works of Eastern scholars intensified,
which indicates the emergence of its methodological
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
foundations, important for the development of music
as a science. Signs of such innovations are found in the
"Treatise on Music" and "Philosophical Treatises" of al-
Farabi [2-42], who was called the "second teacher"
(Aristotle was considered the first), and who delved
into the essence of musical science in every possible
way. Al-Farabi also investigated the human perception
of music, color and smell and revealed the ability of
these physiological qualities to affect certain feelings. It
was al-Farabi, who can rightfully be called the first
major musicologist-methodologist, who actually
formed the “science of music”, which is based on
knowledge related to art. Along with synthesis, he also
used analysis. His books on music theory were the most
complete and well-known in the East, and served as a
source for the works of subsequent scholars of
musicology. In his “Philosophical Treatises” and the
study “The Great Book of Music”, the following idea can
be traced: “Music, developing, became a science
thanks to innate gifts and instincts, and the sounds of
music are the completion of a certain state of the soul”
[2-3]. Farabi's valuable ideas served as the basis for a
new philosophical movement and left a deep mark on
spirituality and culture. His scientific views had a
significant influence on his successors, representatives
of the Arab-Persian region, including Ibn Sina, Al-Biruni.
The philosophy of music in Central Asia is closely
connected with the concepts of the universe, spiritual
practice, ethical norms and principles. Music is
perceived here not only as an art form, but also as a
means of transmitting wisdom, a means of healing and
an instrument for comprehending the highest reality. It
represents a unique combination of cultural, religious
and philosophical traditions. In some sources on music,
a comparative analysis proves that Abu Ali ibn Sina in
his works on music developed and brought to a higher
level the musical and aesthetic views of al-Farabi. Thus,
in the book "Konun fit-tibb" he recommended musical
works as a "healing program" for mental illnesses. [3-
105] Al-Farabi, ibn Sina, al-Khwarizmi and many other
great scientists created scientific works in the field of
music theory ("Ilmi musiqiy") and opened a whole
period in the history of the development of musical
science in the East, playing a decisive role in the
emergence of music theory used by the peoples of the
East. The pedagogical principle of thinkers is an
educational and upbringing value. The concept of
"musical education" has always had a special
significance, since it initially carries the meaning of
elevated spiritual nutrition of a person. Studying the
history of national musical culture, musical education
and upbringing is always relevant. Knowing the history
of the people, its spiritual heritage, social and
pedagogical activity of its best representatives, one can
solve the problems facing modern education. Without
historical memory - there are no musical traditions,
musical culture, without musical culture - there is no
musical education, spirituality, and without spirituality
- there is no personality, no people. Thus, the goal of
musical education in pedagogy is the education of
musical culture of youth, as part of the general spiritual
culture. The concept of education of musical culture
includes the level of development of emotional
responsiveness, artistic thinking, aesthetic taste and
musical and creative abilities, skills, the ability to
perceive music as an art inextricably linked with life.
The development of musical culture education in the
context of the development of national musical
education has a rich centuries-old history and one of
the important principles for improving the quality of
education is to turn to history, traditions of previous
generations, in particular, to the legacy of Eastern
thinkers. Music, being an integral part of spiritual life
and a treasury of historical memory of the people, has
formed moral and aesthetic ideals and the best
features of the national character for centuries.
Knowledge of the historical experience of musical
culture education and musical educational practice
contributes to the development of thinking in further
creative activity, increases the general musical culture
of the nation. Musical and pedagogical ideas of Eastern
educators laid the foundations for the emergence of a
modern system of national musical education and
upbringing. In the system of national education, the
musical and pedagogical heritage of outstanding
encyclopedic
scientists
has
gained
practical
significance: al-Farabi ("The Great Book of Music", "The
Book of the Classification of Rhythms") and Ibn Sina
("Code of the Science of Music", "The Book of
Knowledge", "The Book of Healing"). Education
through music conveyed ideas about goodness, justice
and heroism. They formulated provisions on universal
musical education, ideas on the purpose of music in the
system of moral and aesthetic values in the field of
pedagogy.
Music, being not only an art but also a philosophical
object, touches upon fundamental questions of
existence, consciousness, ethics and aesthetics. From
ancient ideas about harmony to modern cognitive
studies, music remains a powerful means of
understanding the world and man, an important
subject of philosophical analysis, as it touches upon key
aspects of human existence: time perception,
emotions, cognition, spirituality and ethics. Its study
not only deepens the understanding of art, but also
expands the horizons of philosophical thinking. Modern
philosophical and scientific research shows that music
affects cognitive processes, including memory,
attention and emotional state. Research in the field of
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research (ISSN: 2771-2141)
neuroaesthetics confirms that musical structures
activate complex neural networks in the brain, which
makes music a powerful tool for cognition and
emotional impact. [4-434] Eastern traditions have long
used music in meditation and healing, suggesting that
certain sound vibrations can affect consciousness. In
Islam, when reciting the Koran, students learned not
only the moral and ethical criteria of Islam, but also
musical, aesthetic and performance criteria, such as:
preference for a quiet sound, moderate tempo, the
presence of a beautiful voice, solo performance
without instrumental accompaniment, narrative,
manifested in the gradual melodic movement. The
ideas of Eastern thinkers, cited in this article, prove that
they have not lost their influence today. And therefore
they are the most important means of education, an
integral part of the general national pedagogical
system.
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Zatorre K. Music, the Food of Neuros science? //
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