Author: Ricardo Miranda Nachmanowicz

Eduard Hanslick’s “aesthetics” go into Philosophy of Mind and Epistemology

A grayscale painting depicting the string quartet of the Romantic composer Joseph Joachim performing in a crowded chamber music hall. On stage, the four members (Carl Halir, Emanuel Wirth, Joseph Joachim, Robert Hausmann) are positioned, each with their instrument (two violins, one viola, and one cello), in front of a music stand with scores.

Hanslick, author of “On the Musically Beautiful,” is a prominent figure of Music Autonomy. In opposition to principles of musical signification, he argued that musical meaning lay in the structure and intrinsic elements of the composition. This analysis concludes that his “musical idea” concept is an epistemological formulation; therefore, his “aesthetics” must be interpreted also as a Philosophy of Mind and Epistemology, both strongly influenced by positivism. Read More →