Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hodjati
Abstract
According to Muslim logicians, the quantifier, in categorical logic, shows the quantity of the individuals of the subject in a statement; so its place is before the subject. Hence, if it comes before the predicate there arises some deviation in the main form of the statement, and such a statement is ...
Read More
According to Muslim logicians, the quantifier, in categorical logic, shows the quantity of the individuals of the subject in a statement; so its place is before the subject. Hence, if it comes before the predicate there arises some deviation in the main form of the statement, and such a statement is called a "deviant statement" (al-qaḍiyah al-munḥarifah). In modern logic, by contrast, the main characteristic of a predicate is being general or unsaturated and since a predicate has a propositional function, i.e. has free variables (or arguments), it can or should be quantified; hence, putting the quantifier before the predicate is consistent with the conditions and rules on constructing a well formed statement. Among contemporary logicians Hamilton is famous for his claim that predicates should also be quantified just like subjects. The viewpoints of Muslim and modern logicians, concerning the place of the quantifier in a statement, seems to be conflicted. Among Muslim logicians, Avicenna is the one who considers no problem in using such statements, although he calls them “deviant”, and gives an explanation and analysis for them. In this paper, I have examined these views and shown that the conflict may be superfluous if Muslim logicians’ approach to predicates is extensional, which, of course, can hardly be attributed to them.
Ali Akbar Ahmadi Afarmejani; Abdollah Salarvand
Abstract
In the first Critique, Kant delineated the principles of metaphysics of nature and in the second Critique, those of metaphysics of morality. Since these two kinds of principles were essentially distinguished, there appeared an absolute gap between nature and morality, which Kant called abyss or gulf ...
Read More
In the first Critique, Kant delineated the principles of metaphysics of nature and in the second Critique, those of metaphysics of morality. Since these two kinds of principles were essentially distinguished, there appeared an absolute gap between nature and morality, which Kant called abyss or gulf and emphasized that it is "incalculable". That is, if one considers only the first and the second Critique, one should accept the dualism in the essence of subject. Kant, however, takes over in the third Critique the task of investigating the possibility of transition between the two sections of the dualism.
In this paper, we try first to clarify what it means that a transition occurs between nature and morality and then to show how it occurs. Before that, however, we should transform the metaphorical expression of "gulf" into a logical one in order to get the problem right. Once this is done, the meaning of transition becomes clear. In order to delineate how the transition is realized, we should appeal to concepts of the beautiful and the sublime. The transition in the sphere of the beautiful occurs in three instances: intellectual interest in beautiful, the genius, and being the symbol of morality. But in the sphere of the sublime which is "formless", one should go beyond the purposiveness of the form of nature. It will be clear that the sublime represents the possibility of transition in two respects: by introducing the idea of humanity and morality and by aesthetic representation of reason "as both theoretical and practical" which is nothing but unity of the first and the second part of Kantian philosophy.
Seyyed Jamal Same; Mohammad Javad Safian
Abstract
Aristotle is one of the philosophers who have influenced young Heidegger’s thoughts. The purpose of the present paper is to clarify certain aspects of this influence. During the years 1922–1926, Heidegger ponders deeply on Aristotle’s Philosophy. Among Aristotle’s works, Nicomachean ...
Read More
Aristotle is one of the philosophers who have influenced young Heidegger’s thoughts. The purpose of the present paper is to clarify certain aspects of this influence. During the years 1922–1926, Heidegger ponders deeply on Aristotle’s Philosophy. Among Aristotle’s works, Nicomachean Ethics draw more much Heidegger’s philosophical attention to itself. To understand Heidegger’s encounter with Aristotle, we concentrate on three important works of this period: “Phenomenological Interpretations of Aristotle” (1922), “Basic Concepts of Aristotelian Philosophy” (1924), and Plato's “Sophist”. The argument of the current study is that Heidegger’s interpretation of Aristotle during these years can be considered to be his first attempts and exercises leading to his special methodology, i.e. that of Phenomenological Hermeneutics. From this special perspective, we can consider phenomenological hermeneutics and most of other basic concepts of Heidegger’s thought in Being and Time, such as phenomenological deconstruction, care, and conscience as products of his contemplations on Aristotle’s thoughts during these years. Therefore, the leading question of this inquiry is this: What are the ingredients of Heidegger’s self-appropriating interpretation of Nicomachean Ethics? And through this question we aim to investigate the influence of these ingredients on Phenomenological Hermeneutics, the effect of young Heidegger’s reflecting on Aristotle on his understanding of technology.
vahid Ahmadi; Ahmad Ali Heydari
Abstract
The paper is to compare between Ibn Khaldun's style of philosophizing and the modern viewpoint of Philosophy of Culture. Speculating on Asabiyyah (group feeling), civilization, and influences of climate on the human being, Ibn Khaldun sets the stage for his contribution to some of the most important ...
Read More
The paper is to compare between Ibn Khaldun's style of philosophizing and the modern viewpoint of Philosophy of Culture. Speculating on Asabiyyah (group feeling), civilization, and influences of climate on the human being, Ibn Khaldun sets the stage for his contribution to some of the most important categories of the philosophy of culture. He describes how gradually human beings, humans that first home around nature, reach the state of prosperity by way of Asabiyyah and he believes that this way is bound for wars and for the negation of the other. Ibn Khaldun, then, in the course of the discussion, somehow like oppressed utopian, recognizes other cultures and goes beyond the horizon of his own culture and views human being from the higher standpoint of O’mran, a standpoint that is devoid of any specific values, that is Jenseits von Gut und Böse. He rethinks religion so as to pave the way for poly – cultural standpoint.
Seyed Ali Kalantari; amir karbasizadeh
Abstract
In this paper we will consider the idea of logical pluralism with emphasis on Beall and Restall's (2006) account of pluralism. We begin by specification of logical exclusivism, logical relativism and different accounts of logical pluralism and their difference with Beall and Restall's account of logical ...
Read More
In this paper we will consider the idea of logical pluralism with emphasis on Beall and Restall's (2006) account of pluralism. We begin by specification of logical exclusivism, logical relativism and different accounts of logical pluralism and their difference with Beall and Restall's account of logical pluralism. We show that Beall and Restall believe in a kind of semantic logical pluralism according to which there are different plausible interpretations of the "case" in Traski's definition of validity. On the other hand, they also believe the so-called idea of normativity of logic. According to the idea, the notion of logical validity has normative implications for evaluation of arguments in natural language. Our key claim is that the latter claim undermines Beall and Restall's logical pluralism, that is, the normativity of logic collapses their logical pluralism into logical exclusivism. The study of different formulations of the normativity of logic is less considered on debates relating to logical pluralism. Along with considering logical normativity, we will criticize Beall and Restall's pluralism.
Ali Akbar Ahmadi Aframjani; Soheila Mansourian
Abstract
Herbert Marcuse, a Frankfurt philosopher, has tried to redefine the concept of reason from Hegel's point of view. In his different view, he tries to show that the category of cognition and self-consciousness is not possible without addressing the hidden parts of the reason by adding psychoanalysis. He ...
Read More
Herbert Marcuse, a Frankfurt philosopher, has tried to redefine the concept of reason from Hegel's point of view. In his different view, he tries to show that the category of cognition and self-consciousness is not possible without addressing the hidden parts of the reason by adding psychoanalysis. He argues that it is an important part of recognizing desire and has been suppressed by the system of dictatorship in history. For Marcuse, the field of aesthetics and art are the parts in which the psyche is manifested, through which one can recognize the neglected parts and the position of individual desire and approach freedom. A case study of Kamal al-Molk of Iranian culture is a very good example, given all the angles that Marcuse describes. An artist who does not change when he sees change and, on the contrary, resists it and does not happen to achieve the self-consciousness that Marcuse wants. This poses a new complexity to Marcuse's position. This article tries to explore the inadequacy of each of the philosophical and psychoanalytic views according to the given example to say that the desire of the subject involved in the individual subconscious is confiscated long before puberty in childhood. He is barren and incapable of any movement. In this new narrative, it becomes clear that the concept of reason has a recovery beyond the mere realization of Marcuse's intended aesthetics, and that its implications are more serious and profound than what Hegel, Marcuse, and Freud thought.
Mozhgan Khalili; Ali Akbar Ahmadi Aframjani
Abstract
Kripke’s interpretation of Wittgenstein’s investigations separates into two parts: “Skeptical paradox” and “Private language argument”. The investigations focus on a Semantic Skepticism Paradox tied with Rule-following, and its other important problems should be interpreted ...
Read More
Kripke’s interpretation of Wittgenstein’s investigations separates into two parts: “Skeptical paradox” and “Private language argument”. The investigations focus on a Semantic Skepticism Paradox tied with Rule-following, and its other important problems should be interpreted in the same way. The subject of this research is the analysis of Kripke’s unrealistic interpretation of meaning through grammar interpretation of the word “skepticism”. Kripke shows that an unrealistic view of meaning is in the ordinary of language games and related to its creative nature within an unlimited variety, and meaning arises from a special relationship between language and realism that exists inside the form of life under specific conditions. And this gives different dimensions to the grammar of meaning base on its place and nature inside. As a result of this analysis, the meaning has many different dimensions in the course of our active life and can only in one of its uses be used as a realistic view of meaning and we cannot generalize the grammar of this specific use to the other grammars and uses.
Ehsan Karimi Torshizi; Ahmad Ali Heidari
Abstract
In early 20th century, a widespread tendency toward a philosophical anthropology was dominant over the intellectual space in Germany, and it was so deep and extensive in its influence that phenomenology had to react and take a stance against it. This initial stance appeared be an essential conflict of ...
Read More
In early 20th century, a widespread tendency toward a philosophical anthropology was dominant over the intellectual space in Germany, and it was so deep and extensive in its influence that phenomenology had to react and take a stance against it. This initial stance appeared be an essential conflict of a sort, so that Blumenberg coined the term “anthropological ban” regarding Husserl’s and Heidegger’s Phenomenologies. In this paper, we have tried to illustrate that such a confliction is neither essential nor absolute, meaning that it is quite legitimate to talk about a philosophical anthropology of a sort based on Husserl’s and Heidegger’s Phenomenologies. Thus, the plot and general characteristics of such a phenomenological anthropology, in terms of Heidegger's existential analysis of Dasein as a Fundamental ontology in his Sein und Zeit, has been depicted, and its fundamentally different anthropological pattern comparing with that of a traditional anthropology has also been demonstrated.
Mehdi Assadi
Abstract
Ibn Sina says that if we have a piece of knowledge about the past or the future, then our knowledge is “potentially” about the external world. But he does not clarify the meaning of this “potentiality”. We show that if we take Ibn Sina's “the potential” view as the ...
Read More
Ibn Sina says that if we have a piece of knowledge about the past or the future, then our knowledge is “potentially” about the external world. But he does not clarify the meaning of this “potentiality”. We show that if we take Ibn Sina's “the potential” view as the potentiality of the object of truth and then return it to the material causes, then by means of considerable modification and reconstruction we can obtain a reasonable kind of minimalist holism resolution: the object of knowledge to a future thing is its all material causes in the present time and the object of knowledge to a past thing is its all material effects in the present time. We will prove this presentist resolution by means of a kind of determinant reason of comparison with Ibn Sina's definition by a description of comparison with Ibn Sina's phrase that a thing can be distinct by its all causes and of the comparison between the validity of the Minimalist Holism Resolution and our knowledge about the past and the future in the ordinary situations (i.e. without considering the riddle of the intentionality to the nonexistent). In the end, we will have a glance at the degree of the correspondence between knowledge and its object in this resolution and then we show that this resolution can be provable even outside Ibn Sina's philosophical system without necessarily accepting such issues as the four causes and the potentiality.
Alireza Esmaeilzadeh Barzi
Abstract
This paper is going to draw a comparison between pagan and Christian apologies for holy images. To this end, after giving a general history of the issue, the most important criticisms made of the images and veneration of them will be briefly considered. The next step is a detailed comparison between ...
Read More
This paper is going to draw a comparison between pagan and Christian apologies for holy images. To this end, after giving a general history of the issue, the most important criticisms made of the images and veneration of them will be briefly considered. The next step is a detailed comparison between the two groups of apologies. These apologies are mostly concentrated on demonstrating the necessity of images, their functions, and their compatibility with the spiritual core of religion. The comparison will show that the Christian apologies are analogical in their basic aspects to the pagan apologies. In other words, the apologies that some Christian theologians made for images in response to the other Christians and Jews, was in a way the reproduction of apologies that pagan philosophers made in response to early Christians. A subsidiary result of this analogy is the transformation and restriction of the meaning of idolatry. Idolatry's definition in this transition becomes more and more restricted to the object of worship and no longer heeds to the rituals and appearances.
Mohammad mehdi Ardebili
Abstract
What is the Truth in Nietzsche’s philosophy? This is the main problem of the present article, in the light of which an attempt has been made, within the framework of the requirements and limitations of this article, to provide an introduction to the discussion of presenting a monistic-idealistic-dynamic ...
Read More
What is the Truth in Nietzsche’s philosophy? This is the main problem of the present article, in the light of which an attempt has been made, within the framework of the requirements and limitations of this article, to provide an introduction to the discussion of presenting a monistic-idealistic-dynamic conception of Nietzsche. In this regard, first of all, as the introduction, the crisis facing any form of Nietzschean research will be briefly mentioned in order to provide possibilities for formulating the main idea of the article. Then, focusing on Nietzsche's various functions of truth and his dualistic (negative/positive or critical/supportive) encounter with this concept, we will address his main critiques of truth in three ways: 1. Critique of dualism; 2. Critique of essentialism; and 3. Criticism of stability. Finally, with the help of the results of these discussions, a preliminary outline of Nietzsche's monistic-idealistic-dynamic conception will be drawn at the end of the article.
hamid talebzadeh
Volume 10, Issue 39 , October 2014, , Pages 9-26
Abstract
Abstract
Kant, aware of the difficulty of the epistemological rational of religion which brings about religious experience, followed a new path in philosophy and, instead of beginning from the method of obtaining certain knowledge, started from the possibility of certain knowledge. He was deterred by ...
Read More
Abstract
Kant, aware of the difficulty of the epistemological rational of religion which brings about religious experience, followed a new path in philosophy and, instead of beginning from the method of obtaining certain knowledge, started from the possibility of certain knowledge. He was deterred by research in the method of certain knowledge, which was the destination of rational religion, and therefore went beyond the epistemological limits. Instead, he went on a search for a foundation regarding epistemology and achieved this feat via a transcendental method. The transcendental method, which in general considers as its axis investigating the possibility of a priori certain epistemology, though it resolved the lacks of epistemology, had its own weaknesses which brought about the protest of Kant followers who, though loyal, breached their promise and though close, put distance between themselves and Kant. Fichte transformed the transcendental method by dialectic, and Schopenhauer, by returning to Barkley, ruined Kant’s transcendental method. The present paper reviews Schopenhauer’s passage through Kant’s method and shows that Schopenhauer, though he accepts Kant’s transcendental conditions, he opposes Kant’s transcendental reasoning, which Kant claims to have derived from purely transcendental sources. He also challenges the self-proclaimed object and the exemplification object and, eventually, chooses Barkley’s direct method in experimental idealism.
masoud omid
Abstract
Although "osule falsafeh va raveshe ralism" is a fluent a flowing book but it is very pithy too. This article believes that the book opposes the natural direction and framework of mind. Because it against the innatism. But, on the other hand, by reading it again, we know that the theory of realistic ...
Read More
Although "osule falsafeh va raveshe ralism" is a fluent a flowing book but it is very pithy too. This article believes that the book opposes the natural direction and framework of mind. Because it against the innatism. But, on the other hand, by reading it again, we know that the theory of realistic epistemology of this book believes in akind of natural direction of mind. Some of the elements that confirmate these views are: 1- perceptional faculties 2- mathematical perception 3- natural characteristic in mind 4- principality of essence in mind
ebrahim musavi
Abstract
For a long time, Plato's thought has been affected by the interpretations of Aristotelianism or Neo-Platonism. However, some remarks which have been recently made regard the core of Plato's own thought in his dialogues. This becomes critical when we find something totally different from our traditional ...
Read More
For a long time, Plato's thought has been affected by the interpretations of Aristotelianism or Neo-Platonism. However, some remarks which have been recently made regard the core of Plato's own thought in his dialogues. This becomes critical when we find something totally different from our traditional knowledge about Plato comparing it with, for example, what we see in Theaetetus where Plato, unlike Aristotle and Plotinus, maintains no role for perception in knowledge acquisition, and this is the issue which will be discussed in the present paper. Therefore, such an approach makes a main difference between the old (classic) and new (modern) interpretations of Plato's works and develops a central element in his epistemology, as will be indicated. In this article we emphasize on the negative aspect of Plato's epistemology, however, with doing so, the positive aspect will be demonstrated too.
behzad mortezai
Abstract
In the history of Islamic Philosophy, since Farabi's time to the present, the faculty of imagination and imaginary forms have been among so important issues that some scholars have claimed that this is one of the distinct features of the Islamic philosophy. Farabi has explained his theory of prophecy ...
Read More
In the history of Islamic Philosophy, since Farabi's time to the present, the faculty of imagination and imaginary forms have been among so important issues that some scholars have claimed that this is one of the distinct features of the Islamic philosophy. Farabi has explained his theory of prophecy based on the imaginal world. Ibn Sina, Suhrawardi, Mulla Sadra, and their followers succeeded to reconcile religion and philosophy, intuition and argumentation, transmitted sciences and reason based on the idea of imaginal world. The main issue discussed in the present article is states of the soul in the station of imagination; and the most important issue discussed here is arguments posed to prove immateriality of the soul which is of paramount importance in "knowledge of the soul" and is regarded as an important development in philosophical "knowledge of the soul". When immateriality of the soul in the station of imagination is somehow proved, it will be proved that, in spite of views posed by the Peripatetics and Illuminationists, man is not a two-dimensional being (consisted of body and reason); but rather, he enjoys three dimensions and three existential modes: material and corporal mode, formal and purgatorial mode, and rational mode. For the latter, Mulla Sadra has posed many arguments and, as he stipulates, he is the first one in the history of philosophy who has proved some immateriality and independence from body for the faculty of imagination. These arguments are studied and discussed in the present article.
tahereh kamalizadeh
hedayat alavitabar
khosro bagheri nowparast; mohammad zahir nowparast
Abstract
It seems necessary to introduce the basic concepts used in this article i.e. formalism, anti-formalism and moderate formalism. Formalists believe that the aesthetic appreciation of an artwork generally involves an attentive awareness of its sensory or perceptual qualities and does not require knowledge ...
Read More
It seems necessary to introduce the basic concepts used in this article i.e. formalism, anti-formalism and moderate formalism. Formalists believe that the aesthetic appreciation of an artwork generally involves an attentive awareness of its sensory or perceptual qualities and does not require knowledge about its non-perceptual properties. Anti-formalists on the other hand hold that none of the aesthetic properties in a work of art are formal. A number of philosophers have recently advocated a more moderate formalism. According to this view, although not all aesthetic qualities are formal, many are, and some artworks possess only formal aesthetic qualities. The quarrel among these three rival views concerns what sort of knowledge, if any, is required for appropriate aesthetic appreciation of an artwork. In what follows, we will give a brief exposition of these three viewpoints. Subsequently, we will give our preferred position with regard to these views.
ali fath taheri
Abstract
The issue of causation is one of the most important philosophical issues, so that without having a good understanding of this concept, it is impossible to understand the world. Any kind of discussion, speaking, and experience, or any human action is based on some kind of understanding of the concept ...
Read More
The issue of causation is one of the most important philosophical issues, so that without having a good understanding of this concept, it is impossible to understand the world. Any kind of discussion, speaking, and experience, or any human action is based on some kind of understanding of the concept of causation and accepting its reality. The issue of causation can be discussed from various aspects. Modern Western philosophers including Hume and Kant have treated this issue from epistemological point of view. But Muslim philosophers consider it as an ontological one. Mullah Sadrā as a great Muslim philosopher has dealt with this issue and has given its correct meaning with reference to its various forms in his works particularly, in his main book al-Asfār. By proving the principality of existence and mentally-positedness of quiddity, he claimed that it is not possible to explain causation on the basis of quiddity and quiddative possibility. At first, he explained causation on the basis of gradational unity of existence, but since this unity may lead to the separation of cause and effect, he finally by following a mystical approach to this principle, shifted from gradational unity to the individual unity of existence. He explained the principle of causation with reference to the mystical oneness of being, since there is no room for multiplicity. In such an approach, effect will be nothing other than a symbol or sign and has no identity other than a kind of mirror
reza akbarian; amili novo egliza
Abstract
The fact that Corbin left the realm of Western philosophy to devote himself to Islamic philosophy and Iranian theosophers has usually been considered as a radical "rupture" in Corbin's philosophical thought. This article aims at showing that in reality, there is no contradiction but rather a deep continuity ...
Read More
The fact that Corbin left the realm of Western philosophy to devote himself to Islamic philosophy and Iranian theosophers has usually been considered as a radical "rupture" in Corbin's philosophical thought. This article aims at showing that in reality, there is no contradiction but rather a deep continuity in his philosophical path, which was guided by a unique quest of being. Corbin was therefore deeply influenced by Heidegger's main issue of "being qua being" as well as his hermeneutical methodology, but reached another apprehension and level of being through his acquaintance with Mullâ Sadrâ's transcendental philosophy. This crossed-approach led to the transformation of the Heideggerian "Being-towards-death" into the Sadrian "Being-beyond-death", and revealed the deep correspondence between the mode of being and the mode of comprehension as well as the complementary nature of philosophy and mysticism; the latter being the essential and only true realm in which, through presential knowledge, "the fundamental reality of being" may be grasped.
abbas yazdani
Abstract
Does belief in God require the arguments of natural theology to be rationally justified? Some Reformed epistemologists hold that the arguments of natural theology are not necessary for belief in God to be warrant. Moreover, in responding to the question of whether the arguments of natural theology can ...
Read More
Does belief in God require the arguments of natural theology to be rationally justified? Some Reformed epistemologists hold that the arguments of natural theology are not necessary for belief in God to be warrant. Moreover, in responding to the question of whether the arguments of natural theology can confirm or strengthen theistic beliefs, they maintain that since none of the traditional theistic arguments is true, they cannot confirm or strengthen theistic beliefs. However, in this paper, I will argue that although belief in God is properly basic, this belief - at least, in some circumstances - is still in need of the evidence and arguments of natural theology. Hence, natural theology still is inescapable in some contexts. I shall argue that in spite of what has been contended, Reformed thinkers endorse a kind of natural theology. I shall also argue that it is not true to say that all theistic arguments are flawed and useless; as we shall see, some arguments could be sufficient evidence for theistic beliefs. Accordingly, there is no conflict between basicality of belief in God and inferential arguments of natural theology.
ali nazari
Abstract
Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55) focused his attention on the existential elements of our existence; Among these elements the concepts of anxiety, dread, guilt and alienation are of primary importance. Existentialism has tried to discover the mysteries of man’s existence, and helped him to find a way ...
Read More
Soren Kierkegaard (1813-55) focused his attention on the existential elements of our existence; Among these elements the concepts of anxiety, dread, guilt and alienation are of primary importance. Existentialism has tried to discover the mysteries of man’s existence, and helped him to find a way out of his loneliness, anxiety and dread that threaten his existence and survival. Man’s dread caused by the assumption that he was thrown into this alien world. Pinter has depicted the images of life and death, being and non-being, and the reality of man’s reduction into a cipher of non-being. His drama is a bitter commentary on human being’s existence. In Pinter’s world, peace and security remain a mere illusion, vulnerable to utter annihilation. His characters are paralyzed by anxiety and dread. Man's survival depends upon his existence in a room. It concludes that man’s place in the world as Kierkegaard claimed is "insecure and non-securable" (Wick, 2006). Man is thrown into the world, and in his loneliness is paralyzed by anxiety. The source of this anxiety as Kierkegaard claimed is nothingness.
Ilham Abbasi
Abstract
As one of the most serious problems of epistemology, the problem of other minds is rooted in Descartes’ dualism. Since his times, several solutions to the problem have been suggested, but none of them can solve it. In contrary to classic philosophy and analytical philosophy, Heidegger believes ...
Read More
As one of the most serious problems of epistemology, the problem of other minds is rooted in Descartes’ dualism. Since his times, several solutions to the problem have been suggested, but none of them can solve it. In contrary to classic philosophy and analytical philosophy, Heidegger believes that the origin of this problem and provided solutions to respond it, like many other epistemological problems, is the incorrect analysis on human and world and their mutual relations. Instead of addressing to the problem of other minds as an epistemological one, Heidegger refers to the ontological foundations that raise to such problems. By phenomenological study of human and world, Heidegger transfers the problem of other minds from epistemology to ontology. Based on his analysis, all humans are in a public world constituted by a context of life equipments and they encounter others by concerning this world in a pragmatic relation. Such encountering leaves no room for epistemological doubt about others.
philosophy
hosein ardalani; Malikeh Vaezi; Masoud Ghafari
Abstract
IntroductionThe philosophy of music is a branch of philosophy that studies the meaning of music, the relationship between the artist and the creation of music, the relationship between the audience and music, and such issues. Since emotions and feelings constitute the meaning of music, the primary focus ...
Read More
IntroductionThe philosophy of music is a branch of philosophy that studies the meaning of music, the relationship between the artist and the creation of music, the relationship between the audience and music, and such issues. Since emotions and feelings constitute the meaning of music, the primary focus of theorists in this field is devoted to the fundamental question of where the emotional impact of music originates from. In the philosophy of music, there are two rival theories regarding the source of musical emotions: the expressive theory, which prioritizes the emotions of the artist in creating the work and considers the meaning of music in the expression of the artist's emotions, and the arousal theory, which gives priority to the emotions evoked in the listener and considers the meaning and purpose of music in eliciting the emotions of the audience.The aim of this research is to facilitate the scientific examination of the relationship between music and emotions. The specific objectives of this research are as follows: _ Introducing and examining the most important theories and discussions in the philosophy of music. _ Investigating the most important criticisms that have been made on various theories in the philosophy of music and showing the efforts of theorists and philosophers to respond to these criticisms. _ Showing that old theories put forward by philosophers like Aristotle can still be relevant in current philosophical discussions. This highlights the importance of mastering the history of philosophy for researchers in this field. _ Demonstrating that music can (or even should) be subject to contemplation and philosophical inquiry. This research is classified as fundamental research in terms of the data collection method, which is qualitative research using a library research approach. Additionally, this research specifically utilizes up-to-date and primary sources in the field of philosophy of music. Research Question(s)Which of these two theories of Expression and Arousal provides a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between music and emotions and offers a better explanation of our emotional experiences when confronted with music?Which theory can better respond to the criticisms raised against it? Literature ReviewSome of the most important articles published on the arousal theory of music are as follows (in chronological order):Mew, P (1984) The musical arousal of emotions.British Journal of Aesthetics 25 (4):357-361.Robinson, J (1994) The expression and arousal of emotion in music. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 52 (1):13-22. Beever, A. (1998) The Arousal Theory Again? The British Journal of Aesthetics 38(1):82-90.Kingsbury, J (1999) Why the Arousal Theory of Musical Expressiveness is Still Wrong? Australasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (1):83 – 88.Matravers, D (2007) Musical expressiveness. Philosophy Compass 2 (3):373–379. Arbo, A. (2009) Some Remarks on “Hearing-as” and its Role in the Aesthetics of Music. Topoi 28 (2):97-107.Cochrane, T. (2010) Music, Emotions and the Influence of the Cognitive Sciences. Philosophy Compass 5 (11):978-988.Eerola, T. (2016) Being Moved by Unfamiliar Sad Music Is Associated with High Empathy. Frontiers in Psychology 7.Levinson, j (2016) Music-Specific Emotion: An Elusive Quarry. Estetika 53 (2):115-131.Wu-Jing He (2017) Emotional Reactions Mediate the Effect of Music Listening on Creative Thinking: Perspective of the Arousal-and-Mood Hypothesis. Frontiers in Psychology 8 MethodologyThis research is classified as fundamental research in terms of its objective. The general aim of this research is to establish a conceptual framework for the philosophical examination of the relationship between music and emotions ConclusionsIn response to the first question, we first need to see what each of these two theories offers in response to the most important issue regarding emotions and music, namely the issue of the "relationship between expressed emotions in music and evoked emotions in the listener." The expressive theory addresses this issue with the concept of "grounding," while the motivational theory uses the concept of "emotional codes." Our analysis shows that the concept of "emotional codes" is more effective than "grounding" for two reasons:"Grounding" is a concept that claims objectivity, while by definition, the meaning of music lies in its sensory content. The conflict between the expressive theory and the motivational theory is essentially a conflict over determining the place of sensory content in music. The expressive theory places the sensory content in the expressed emotions in the musical piece and considers these emotions as a crystallization of the emotions of the creator, while the motivational theory places the sensory content of music in the emotions evoked in the listener through music. Referring to an objective concept to explain the place of sensory content, if not a theoretical impossibility, is an additional effort that only complicates the conflict between these two theories.The concept of emotional codes conceptualizes the issue at the mental (or intermental) level and provides an effective framework for explaining the position of the sensory content of music. Different and varied reactions to music are appropriate. Furthermore, by introducing the concept of emotional codes, one can pave the way for framing research issues in an interdisciplinary context. This way, the issue of the sensory content of music can be explored in the interdisciplinary fields of musicology, philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience.Our analysis has shown that the theory of motivation with our experiential intuition is more compatible. This is because the basis of judging a musical work is the experienced emotions, not the assumed emotions that the artist intended to express. For example, when we label a piece of music as sad, it is not because the composer intended to express sad emotions, but rather it is simply and intuitively because that piece evokes a sense of sadness in us.As a result, the theory of motivation provides a better and more valid explanation of the relationship between music and emotions.In response to the second question, it is important to consider the main criticism that challenges each of these two theories and how they respond to it. Our analysis has shown that the main criticism of the expressive theory is the "expression of unexperienced emotions," and proponents of the expressive theory, in response to this criticism, question the principles of this theory. They do not necessarily consider the expressed emotions as belonging to the artist, but rather see the artist as simply a narrator of the emotions of another individual (or even a completely imaginary person). In this way, they raise the larger question of whose emotions are being expressed in music. Since the answer cannot be the audience (as that would essentially turn it into a motivational theory), this question remains shrouded in ambiguity and mystery.On the other hand, in our research, we demonstrated that the responses that have been presented to the issue of "liking sad music" are not defensible and valid. Furthermore, by using the concept of catharsis from Aristotle, we were able to propose an acceptable response to this criticism. We showed that our proposed response can address all the criticisms that were present in other responses.
ahmadali haidari