Undergraduate Course: Philosophy of Music (PHIL10256)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Music is a fundamental feature of human experience. Infants to octogenarians enjoy music, apparently without difficulty or training. Yet, music is also deeply mysterious. What is it? Why is music connected to emotional states? What is the purpose of spending time listening to music? What, if anything, can we learn from it? What issues arise when AI enters into music making?
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| Course description |
The course explores a range of issues in philosophy of music. The courses focuses on contemporary issues in philosophy of music and it adopts the methods of western analytic philosophy. No prior knowledge of music theory or any experience in playing a musical instrument is assumed. Classes will be primarily discussion based, so students are expected to have done the reading in advance of class.
Among the questions that this course will address include:
- When does a sound become music? Is it the internal structure of the sound (some harmonic, rhythmic, etc. pattern) or how listeners respond to and evaluate certain sounds?
- What is the nature of a musical work? Is it identical to a set of the performances (nominalism), an abstract compositional entity (Platonism), or something else?
- What counts as an 'authentic' instantiation of a musical work? For example, is a harpsichord required to play Bach's *Brandenburg Concerto No. 5*?
- How should questions about authenticity be addressed for non-compositional genres, e.g. for rock music, which focuses on recording; or jazz, which focuses on improvisation?
- How can music be happy or sad, if emotions are the province of sentient agents? How might music express emotions without words?
- What is musical understanding? Can someone be said to understand a piece of music if they are unable to play it themselves or conceptualise how it works in terms of music theory?
- What is the point of listening to music beyond giving pleasure (being 'auditory cheesecake')? As an abstract art-form par excellence, music does not appear to tell us about the world. Why then listen to it?
- How might 4E cognition change our conception of the music making? What if we treat listening (perception), understanding (evaluation), and performance (action) not as discrete events, but as a continuous, dynamic process?
- What risks does generative AI pose to music making? Is non-AI-generated music in some sense more valuable or authentic?
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Mind, Matter and Language (PHIL08014) AND
Knowledge and Reality (PHIL08017)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students studying on MA Cognitive Science (Humanities) are permitted to take this course without having met the pre-requisites of Mind, Matter and Language and Knowledge and Reality. However, it is advisable that students discuss the suitability of the course with their Student Adviser and the Course Organiser before enrolling. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have completed at least 3 Philosophy courses at grade B or above. We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission. **Please note that honours Philosophy courses are high-demand, meaning that they have a very high number of students wishing to enrol in a very limited number of spaces.** These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Exam (2 hours) - 100% |
| Feedback |
Individual written feedback on assessments. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Philosophy of Music Exam | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of issues in philosophy of music
- Demonstrate ability to bring novel philosophical considerations and argument to bear on those issues
- Demonstrate skills in research, analysis and argumentation
- Demonstrate knowledge of how issues in philosophy of music connect to wider concerns
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Reading List
- Davies, S., 2001, *Musical Works and Performances: A Philosophical Exploration*, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Dodd, J. 2007, *Works of Music: An Essay in Ontology*, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Goehr, L. 1992, *The Imaginary Museum of Musical Works: An Essay in the Philosophy of Music*, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Gracyk, T. 1996. *Rhythm and Noise: An Aesthetics of Rock*. Duke University Press.
- Kania, A. 2020, *Philosophy of Western Music: A Contemporary Introduction*, London: Routledge.
- Ridley, A. 2004, *The Philosophy of Music: Theme and Variations*, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press
- Scruton, R. 1997, *The Aesthetics of Music*, Oxford: Oxford University Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will ask students to engage with the existing philosophical literature, develop their own views, identify and solve problems, articulate and communicate their thinking clearly, both in assessed work and collaborative class discussion.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mark Sprevak
Tel:
Email: msprevak@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Cameron Findlay
Tel:
Email: cameron.findlay@ed.ac.uk |
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