All in all, I'd say that I had a great time in this class during the semester. Based on the format of my last History of Philosophy class (lectures + daily homework assignments), I wasn't looking forward to it. The format of the class and how it was run was very enjoyable.
For my final blog post, I'll comment on the inter-connectivity of different philosophies across different times and locations. While writing and revising my essay, I noticed that a lot of concepts from the Pre-Socratic turned up in other religions and philosophies. In my essay, I wrote about Pythagorean metaphysics. In my research, I found that the idea of an over-arching harmony is actually pretty popular. It's the crux of the Buddhist religion, it appears in European philosophy (Spinoza and Leibniz), and is a part of the Ontological argument for the existence of God.
I'd like to think that something like this is indicative of the existence of a divine harmony. Just the fact that so many different philosophies and religions recognize the existence of harmony doesn't necessarily mean that it exists, and we can't know the characteristics of the harmony from this fact either. But it would be nice.
Nothing comes into existence as an original idea. Different areas of philosophy do not exist in isolated vacuums. I don't think that it's really too strange how philosophical ideas are interconnected. It's certainly cool and can help to establish credibility.
So yeah. Peace.
-Andrew
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Blog Round Seven: Jank Jam Session - Paper Abstract Thought Process
Pythagoras! My original plan was to try and link the perfect concordes to moral theory, but I think that whole operation is shaky, at best. That topic would involve quantifying values which would be subjective by nature. So what will I do now? That's a good question.
Pythagoras has a quote that I really like. It is the sixteenth aphorism from his chapter in the reader. "The tetractys is a certain number, which being composed of the four first numbers produces the most perfect number, 10. For 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 come to be 10. This number is the first tetractys and is called the source of ever-flowing nature, since according to them the entire kismos is organized according to harmonia, and harmonia is a system of three concords, the fourth, the fifth, and the octave, and the proportions of these three concords are found in the aforementioned four numbers."
Just... wow. For a musician, it is an amazing thing to hear that harmony is the origin of the universe, and it kind of makes sense in a romantic way. Everything in our bodies works together in a kind of harmony, and at our best, we interact with our environment harmoniously. I would like to make a paper topic out of this, but my concern is making it 3000 words (That's a lot of words! I barely even speak 3000 words out loud on a good day.) Here are my thoughts:
1. Explain Pythagoras' world view in relation tot he tetractys. I'll need to use secondary sources for this. Unfortunately, the reader doesn't give too much information about it besides aphorism 16.
1.1- I think I'll gush about the importance and awesomeness of music somewhere around here. At some point, I'll need to talk about the beauty of harmony, why harmony is an inherent quality of goodness, and why music is awesome.
2. Analyze it. Is this a sound way (hah. music pun) to construct the world? How does this relate to abstract ideas and corporeal objects?
3. Do I agree with it? Why? Here's another section which will require a lot of sources. Fortunately, there's a lot about Pythagoras in our library. That makes me happy.
4. Who objects to this? If I can't find anybody in the books in the library, I'll look to European Philosophy. Those guys have a few ideas on how the world is made, and I'm sure they'll disagree with Pythagoras.
5. Who concurs with this? For example, I think Gottfried Leibniz would concur with the theory of harmony. His theory of Monads revolves completely around the theory of pre-established harmony within the monads.
6. Conclusion! Yeah!
So yeah! Pythagoras! Conference Paper! Go Team!
Pythagoras has a quote that I really like. It is the sixteenth aphorism from his chapter in the reader. "The tetractys is a certain number, which being composed of the four first numbers produces the most perfect number, 10. For 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 come to be 10. This number is the first tetractys and is called the source of ever-flowing nature, since according to them the entire kismos is organized according to harmonia, and harmonia is a system of three concords, the fourth, the fifth, and the octave, and the proportions of these three concords are found in the aforementioned four numbers."
Just... wow. For a musician, it is an amazing thing to hear that harmony is the origin of the universe, and it kind of makes sense in a romantic way. Everything in our bodies works together in a kind of harmony, and at our best, we interact with our environment harmoniously. I would like to make a paper topic out of this, but my concern is making it 3000 words (That's a lot of words! I barely even speak 3000 words out loud on a good day.) Here are my thoughts:
1. Explain Pythagoras' world view in relation tot he tetractys. I'll need to use secondary sources for this. Unfortunately, the reader doesn't give too much information about it besides aphorism 16.
1.1- I think I'll gush about the importance and awesomeness of music somewhere around here. At some point, I'll need to talk about the beauty of harmony, why harmony is an inherent quality of goodness, and why music is awesome.
2. Analyze it. Is this a sound way (hah. music pun) to construct the world? How does this relate to abstract ideas and corporeal objects?
3. Do I agree with it? Why? Here's another section which will require a lot of sources. Fortunately, there's a lot about Pythagoras in our library. That makes me happy.
4. Who objects to this? If I can't find anybody in the books in the library, I'll look to European Philosophy. Those guys have a few ideas on how the world is made, and I'm sure they'll disagree with Pythagoras.
5. Who concurs with this? For example, I think Gottfried Leibniz would concur with the theory of harmony. His theory of Monads revolves completely around the theory of pre-established harmony within the monads.
6. Conclusion! Yeah!
So yeah! Pythagoras! Conference Paper! Go Team!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Blog Round Six: Dubstep Remix - Diotima
Woah. I've seriously neglected this. My bad.
Anyways, I like the chapter in which Socrates recounts his questioning by Diotima. The first thing that struck me is that she quickly broke Socrates' usual style of reasoning. In other Socratic dialogues, Socrates tends to reason in binary. What I mean by this is that he says either something is or it isn't, with no middle ground. But Diotima quickly says, "Then don't force whatever is not beautiful to be ugly, or whatever is not good to be bad. It's the same with Love: when you agree he is neither good nor beautiful, you need not think he is ugly and bad; he could be something in between." Indeed, the whole theme of the Diotima sections is reconciliation between absolutes. She says that Love is neither mortal nor immortal, but in between. Love, according to Diotima, is a mediating force between the extremes of wisdom and ignorance, good and bad, and beautiful and ugly. Love is the state of wanting something, instead of having something. Therefore, loving is an action, rather than a state. As Diotima says, "I conclude that you thought Love was being loved, rather than being a lover."
I'll admit that when Diotima begins to talk of "reproduction and birth in beauty," she loses me. I think her conclusion is that a desire for immortality is love. But is that it? I hope we cover that in class today.
I really need to step up my game on this. The semester is almost over.
-Andrew
Anyways, I like the chapter in which Socrates recounts his questioning by Diotima. The first thing that struck me is that she quickly broke Socrates' usual style of reasoning. In other Socratic dialogues, Socrates tends to reason in binary. What I mean by this is that he says either something is or it isn't, with no middle ground. But Diotima quickly says, "Then don't force whatever is not beautiful to be ugly, or whatever is not good to be bad. It's the same with Love: when you agree he is neither good nor beautiful, you need not think he is ugly and bad; he could be something in between." Indeed, the whole theme of the Diotima sections is reconciliation between absolutes. She says that Love is neither mortal nor immortal, but in between. Love, according to Diotima, is a mediating force between the extremes of wisdom and ignorance, good and bad, and beautiful and ugly. Love is the state of wanting something, instead of having something. Therefore, loving is an action, rather than a state. As Diotima says, "I conclude that you thought Love was being loved, rather than being a lover."
I'll admit that when Diotima begins to talk of "reproduction and birth in beauty," she loses me. I think her conclusion is that a desire for immortality is love. But is that it? I hope we cover that in class today.
I really need to step up my game on this. The semester is almost over.
-Andrew
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
And Now In Place Of Your Regularly Scheduled Programming, Part 2: Grainger
My music post is a little overdue. I said last time that I would go over Shepherd's Hey by Percy Grainger, but I've decided to look at another Grainger work, Irish Tune from County Derry.
Here is a recording of Irish Tune from County Derry, as played by the University of North Texas' Wind Ensemble.
As you're listening to this piece, listen to the areas of tension at 1:28, 2:25, and in other places. The harmonic structure gathers for a second, then releases outward to provide softness and harmony. There are three distinct phases to this song. The first is a brass and low woodwind choir. This phase explores the melody and its progression. The second phase is the high woodwind choir, which is an echo of the first phase. The same melody is developed, but more emphasis is placed on higher, rather than lower notes, for a brighter feeling. The third phase is where everything comes together in one last repetition of the melody. Elaborate chord structures are built, tension is used sparingly, and harmony is reached in the end. 3:27 is the climax of the piece, when the tension is brought to its maximum, then tight harmonies are played down the scale.
This is a beautiful piece. It is not technically difficult. And by that, I mean it is just quarter, half, and whole notes. Technically, it is a very direct and easy piece. The difficulty in this piece comes from the necessary tuning and subtle intonation. This piece doesn't sound right if all of the notes are just played one by one. The performers give shape to the notes and phrases, animating the whole piece. As the performers move, the song moves with them.
Sit back, plug in some headphones, and turn this song up to 11. It's worth the listen.
-Andrew
Here is a recording of Irish Tune from County Derry, as played by the University of North Texas' Wind Ensemble.
As you're listening to this piece, listen to the areas of tension at 1:28, 2:25, and in other places. The harmonic structure gathers for a second, then releases outward to provide softness and harmony. There are three distinct phases to this song. The first is a brass and low woodwind choir. This phase explores the melody and its progression. The second phase is the high woodwind choir, which is an echo of the first phase. The same melody is developed, but more emphasis is placed on higher, rather than lower notes, for a brighter feeling. The third phase is where everything comes together in one last repetition of the melody. Elaborate chord structures are built, tension is used sparingly, and harmony is reached in the end. 3:27 is the climax of the piece, when the tension is brought to its maximum, then tight harmonies are played down the scale.
This is a beautiful piece. It is not technically difficult. And by that, I mean it is just quarter, half, and whole notes. Technically, it is a very direct and easy piece. The difficulty in this piece comes from the necessary tuning and subtle intonation. This piece doesn't sound right if all of the notes are just played one by one. The performers give shape to the notes and phrases, animating the whole piece. As the performers move, the song moves with them.
Sit back, plug in some headphones, and turn this song up to 11. It's worth the listen.
-Andrew
Blog Round Five: Hive Mind Jive - Class Today + More Paper Ideas
Today was an informative class period. Plus, we had desserts. Desserts make everything better.
Anaxagoras is an okay guy. He reminds me a lot of Kant. The aphorism that is most similar is number 20, which reads, "Owing to their [the senses'] feebleness, we are not able to determine the truth." This is just like Kant's nouminal and phenomenal world. The nouminal world is the world as it truly is. The phenomenal world is the world as it appears to us, through our perceptions. According to Kant, we cannot know the nouminal world because we continually perceive the world. By nature, we can only know the phenomenal world. Anaxagoras, like Kant, emphasizes limits on human reason. The truth which is beyond our understanding is the Nous. And while, we have a part of the Nous inside of us, we cannot truly know the nature of it. The Nous we observe can only be as we perceive it, and not as it actually is.
I wish I could talk about Anaxagoras more, but there weren't a lot of aphorisms to read, and there isn't too much to infer from what there is. The people who presented today did very well, but I felt bad that there wasn't too much in the primary source for them to use.
Switching gears now, I'm going to move over to my conference paper. Pythagoras and moral philosophy! There's a lot of books in Moody library about Pythagoras, so I'm not in want for materials. The first thing to note is the Pythagorean declaration, "All things known have number." This is the first major part of my paper; establishing if things like epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics can have number. Can they? Well, it's hard to assign a system of order to (sometimes) vague and intangible concepts. In terms of metaphysics, Pythagoreans asserted that there were patterns of numbers in the universe, and that the whole kosmos follows these patterns. For epistemology, numbers are part of our perceptions; we will be more likely to identify a pattern in the world, and its discovery can enable us to learn.
Ethics is the difficult category here. In order to link musical chords and moral philosophy, ethical criterion and their qualities must be linked with music. There must be something about the qualities of Justice, Love, or Humility that are obvious to the Fourth, Fifth, and Octave chords.
I think I've got my work cut out for me. You know, it would really suck if I were to find that I couldn't actually write about my paper. You know, no links, no source, etc. I'd laugh for a bit. But I think I'll be able to find something good and make a good paper out of it.
-Andrew
Anaxagoras is an okay guy. He reminds me a lot of Kant. The aphorism that is most similar is number 20, which reads, "Owing to their [the senses'] feebleness, we are not able to determine the truth." This is just like Kant's nouminal and phenomenal world. The nouminal world is the world as it truly is. The phenomenal world is the world as it appears to us, through our perceptions. According to Kant, we cannot know the nouminal world because we continually perceive the world. By nature, we can only know the phenomenal world. Anaxagoras, like Kant, emphasizes limits on human reason. The truth which is beyond our understanding is the Nous. And while, we have a part of the Nous inside of us, we cannot truly know the nature of it. The Nous we observe can only be as we perceive it, and not as it actually is.
I wish I could talk about Anaxagoras more, but there weren't a lot of aphorisms to read, and there isn't too much to infer from what there is. The people who presented today did very well, but I felt bad that there wasn't too much in the primary source for them to use.
Switching gears now, I'm going to move over to my conference paper. Pythagoras and moral philosophy! There's a lot of books in Moody library about Pythagoras, so I'm not in want for materials. The first thing to note is the Pythagorean declaration, "All things known have number." This is the first major part of my paper; establishing if things like epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics can have number. Can they? Well, it's hard to assign a system of order to (sometimes) vague and intangible concepts. In terms of metaphysics, Pythagoreans asserted that there were patterns of numbers in the universe, and that the whole kosmos follows these patterns. For epistemology, numbers are part of our perceptions; we will be more likely to identify a pattern in the world, and its discovery can enable us to learn.
Ethics is the difficult category here. In order to link musical chords and moral philosophy, ethical criterion and their qualities must be linked with music. There must be something about the qualities of Justice, Love, or Humility that are obvious to the Fourth, Fifth, and Octave chords.
I think I've got my work cut out for me. You know, it would really suck if I were to find that I couldn't actually write about my paper. You know, no links, no source, etc. I'd laugh for a bit. But I think I'll be able to find something good and make a good paper out of it.
-Andrew
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Blog Round Four: Dance 'til You're Sore - Empedocles Postgame + Paper Idea
So yeah. I thought my presentation went pretty well today. Maybe I'm biased, but I was happy with the presentation and the performance. I'll admit that halfway through my preparation I realized that I was working on the Metaphysics of Empedocles instead of the Epistemology, so I ended up having to modify half of my work to fit the presentation that I gave today. Luckily the metaphysics and epistemology are pretty well related, so it isn't too weird for me to talk about the metaphysics.
Final thoughts on Empedocles: Honestly, I liked him a lot. He's pretty cool. What I liked the most was his account on how we come to have knowledge. " For by earth we see earth, by water, water, by Aither, divine Aither, any by fire, destructive fire, yearning by yearning, and strife by mournful strife." Through the expression of the classic elements in our own bodies, we can come to observe and know other expression of the elements and how love and strife influence the different shapes. It's total crap and there's no way to prove it, but it's fascinating nonetheless.
Now onto greater heights! Today in class we talked about how we will be presenting conference papers at the end of the semester. I am not in want of a topic. My mind immediately went back to Pythagoras and his discussions on music. I want to see if there is a link between music and moral philosophy, using Pythagoras as a base for the concepts of music and morality. I don't know if there is even a link there, but this is too interesting of a topic and too good of an opportunity to pass up. I'll make another blog post once I've done some preliminary reading. I need to find some new sources for this because the parts about music aren't covered too well in the reader.
- Andrew
Final thoughts on Empedocles: Honestly, I liked him a lot. He's pretty cool. What I liked the most was his account on how we come to have knowledge. " For by earth we see earth, by water, water, by Aither, divine Aither, any by fire, destructive fire, yearning by yearning, and strife by mournful strife." Through the expression of the classic elements in our own bodies, we can come to observe and know other expression of the elements and how love and strife influence the different shapes. It's total crap and there's no way to prove it, but it's fascinating nonetheless.
Now onto greater heights! Today in class we talked about how we will be presenting conference papers at the end of the semester. I am not in want of a topic. My mind immediately went back to Pythagoras and his discussions on music. I want to see if there is a link between music and moral philosophy, using Pythagoras as a base for the concepts of music and morality. I don't know if there is even a link there, but this is too interesting of a topic and too good of an opportunity to pass up. I'll make another blog post once I've done some preliminary reading. I need to find some new sources for this because the parts about music aren't covered too well in the reader.
- Andrew
Monday, February 3, 2014
And Now In Place of Your Regularly Scheduled Programming...
The title of the blog says that music is a part of this thing. So yeah. I'll try and make a musical post a week to have a break from all of the deep thoughts.
This week's piece is Aurora Awakes by John Mackey (Youtube Link Here).
I'm particularly fond of this piece because I played it with the Granbury High School Wind Ensemble my senior year. It was a great experience. This is one of the few pieces where I was able to really form a connection with the music, where I as an individual ceased to exist, and I was part of the music. Pay attention to the clarinet (I played the solo during high school) and flute solos at the beginning. The piece is a musical representation of the Goddess Aurora waking up, bringing light to the world. The early woodwind solos herald the coming of dawn in a subtle manner. The tension that is brought up in the loud section helps emphasize the resolution in the measure before the tempo picks up. When the song picks up in tempo and volume, think of a great sunrise over a beautiful landscape. Everything comes to life as the sun rises. To listen to this piece, plug in some good headphones and crank the volume up to 11. Lie down and let yourself go. Become one with the music.
I hope you enjoy the music. Even after playing this in high school, I still listen to it regularly. Next week, I'll go over Shepherd's Hey by Percy Grainger.
-Andrew
This week's piece is Aurora Awakes by John Mackey (Youtube Link Here).
I'm particularly fond of this piece because I played it with the Granbury High School Wind Ensemble my senior year. It was a great experience. This is one of the few pieces where I was able to really form a connection with the music, where I as an individual ceased to exist, and I was part of the music. Pay attention to the clarinet (I played the solo during high school) and flute solos at the beginning. The piece is a musical representation of the Goddess Aurora waking up, bringing light to the world. The early woodwind solos herald the coming of dawn in a subtle manner. The tension that is brought up in the loud section helps emphasize the resolution in the measure before the tempo picks up. When the song picks up in tempo and volume, think of a great sunrise over a beautiful landscape. Everything comes to life as the sun rises. To listen to this piece, plug in some good headphones and crank the volume up to 11. Lie down and let yourself go. Become one with the music.
I hope you enjoy the music. Even after playing this in high school, I still listen to it regularly. Next week, I'll go over Shepherd's Hey by Percy Grainger.
-Andrew
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