Music and the Sources of Knowledge

Abstract

The problem of knowledge is not limited to a consideration of its nature. It extends to issues of origin of knowledge. How do we arrive at the judgments we make about reality? The essence of an enquiry of this nature is to articulate concepts and ideas that often appear hazy and to see how the path to knowledge in general, relates to musical knowledge. The impression seems to be that musical knowledge follows a peculiar but unique route. The other proposition may equally be true, namely, that the internal faculties which process human knowledge do so according to predetermined schema and categories capable of integrating and differentiating the contents of reality arranged and presented as knowledge. We therefore look at the major sources of knowledge – the senses, the intellect or reason, intuition, authority. Then we look at dream and the imagination in relation to making music. In the midst of all this, we shall try to establish the meaning and place of inspiration in music making.