MUSIC IN PLATO'S WORLD

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5 Jan 2024

MUSIC IN PLATO'S WORLD

Plato (427-347 BC)

Plato, one of the prominent names in the world of philosophy, lived between 427-347 BC. A thinker from an aristocratic family in Athens, he received a good education. Plato, the representative of idealist philosophy opposing the materialistic understanding of Greek philosophy, perceives the world with a religious perspective and takes the concept of "good" as its foundation. At this point, we can say that he was influenced by his mentor, Socrates.
Plato argues that the fundamental cause of all the political problems in society and the state at that time is the moral decay. The political crisis in Athens of that period is a moral crisis, and the solution is the establishment of an ideal order aiming to create good individuals. Influenced by Socrates, he argues that the relationship between ethics and politics is binding and determinative. The problem is a moral one, the solution is justice, and justice is provided by the state. Individuals living in a state ruled by philosophers and those dedicated to philosophy will be happy.

According to Plato, to reach the ideal state, the existing system must be completely destroyed. For a radical change, a system descending from the ideal state to individuals must be established, individuals must be educated, and philosophy must be taught.
Plato expressed his philosophy through numerous works, and his dialogues, narrated through the mouth of Socrates, introducing the philosophy of Socrates, are one of the known important philosophical writings. Due to the importance he attached to education, he gathered the most important researchers of the time in the Academy he founded. The inscription at the entrance of the Academy, saying "Let no one unskilled in geometry enter," is the first philosophy school in history and also a structure where education is given in history, astronomy, law, rhetoric, etc.

If we delve into Plato's philosophical thoughts in more detail; this world and the beings belonging to this world are not real, there is constant change. According to him, the real ones are the "Ideas." Ideas are the originals of the beings in this world. Each object in the world has a prototype. Plato expresses the ideas based on the efforts of people in this world, saying that people always seek the good and the beautiful, although they can never fully reach them. Therefore, these ideas exist in a separate world; this world of ideas has its own flawless ideal state, absolute beauty standard, and perfect human. Plato frequently mentioned this ideal state in his dialogues and detailed it in his work "The Republic."

Plato's ideas are infinite and flawless entities that can only be grasped through reason. In contrast to the ideas, there are phenomena, and phenomena (appearances) are perceived through the senses. Our sense organs cannot lead us to true knowledge; Being is a non-sensory spiritual concept, and sensory organs are inadequate to perceive it. At this point, the soul comes into play; the soul is immortal, and being in the body is a temporary condition. The death of the body represents the freedom of the soul, and the soul comes to the earth many times, so the soul has "episteme," true knowledge. In the world of phenomena, there is no true knowledge; instead, there is "doxa," that is, true opinion. People have true knowledge within them, but it must be remembered. People learn by remembering. While reaching the ideas only with true knowledge, we reach our opinions through the senses.

If we elaborate on Plato's argument with an example;
We can explain the physical characteristics of the person in front of us through our sense of sight, but we describe his human qualities according to the good concept in us. The good concept we have is a concept that we produce within us by remembering, a concept that is innate.

Plato shows a strong inclination towards political philosophy. Bad governance can only be changed through the learning and teaching of philosophical thought. The duty of the state is to make individuals happy, and such a state can only be governed by philosopher rulers.
According to him, a person cannot live alone; he is a part of society. He meets his needs through society, and based on this, there is a strong bond among people. The only structure that will protect this bond and make people happy is the state. The three parts in the human soul (reason, will, desire) also find their counterparts in the state. These counterparts are summarized as follows:

Soul Behavior State Virtue
Reason Thinking Rulers Wisdom
Will Protection Guardians Courage
Desire Enjoyment Producers Moderation

Plato says that the education of rulers and guardians is crucial; they must receive education until the age of 20, including both physical and mental education. In addition to this education, there is another education that shapes the human soul, which must be received during childhood. While physical education is done in gymnastics, music comes into play in mental education. Those who complete this education with deficiencies are placed in the state as protectors, while those who will be rulers must continue their education with mathematics and dialectics. At this stage, successful individuals should receive 15 years of political and state administration education before having a say in state administration. A good state administrator can only be like this.

So far, we have briefly discussed Plato's general philosophy. Now let's discuss the role of music;
Thanks to the ideas, Plato, who has the idea of reaching good and happy individuals, finds art and the artist very important. Despite its importance, art is also a frightening situation on its own. Because art is a concept that can affect the soul, it may need to be restricted. Art is imitation. Artists who will be in the ideal state must be imitators of virtuous and good individuals, evoking pleasant feelings in people. These individuals can read hymns praising God or texts praising good people. At this point, we can say that Plato disregards the creativity and originality of the artist, and he places it in a role that only provides happiness to individuals in society.

When Plato addresses music, he thinks about all the religious, magical, mythical, and spiritual effects of music, and the main question is how music affects a society in all its aspects. In addition, music has a technical and scientific aspect. And finally, the role of instruments is also important. In his dialogues, Plato argues that ancient Greek music was influenced by the civilizations of Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia, and he delves into this issue. He argues that this influence is largely due to Pythagoras, who traveled to Egypt.

Plato's basic fear is that music negatively affects state authority; therefore, like other forms of art, it must have a certain self-control system. In his dialogues called "Laws," he said,
"Our songs are our laws."

In this dialogue he wrote in his 80s, he discussed the laws of the Ideal State and emphasized that music must undergo strict scrutiny. In addition to music, dance is also included in the ideal state, but dance, like music, must have a unity with music, guiding only towards good. A well-educated person should be able to both dance and sing well. Three different choirs for different age groups will be highly effective in terms of everyone receiving music education.