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Often appears with: the passions and the emotions · education and the training of the young · theatre music vs education · soul as harmony · plato’s republic · music and youth · education · doric phrygian debate
Usually: argument (2) · exhortation (1) · skepticism (1)
Aristotle concludes that because music powerfully fascinates and moves the soul, it should be taught to youth, whose tastes are naturally drawn to agreeable things and who are suited to music.
From what has been said it is evident what an influence music has over the disposition of the mind, and how variously it can fascinate it: and if it can do this, most certainly it is what youth ought to be instructed in. And indeed the learning of music is particularly adapted to their disposition; for at their time of life they do not willingly attend to anything which is not agreeable; but music is naturally one of…
He outlines which harmonies and rhythms fit education (moral and instructive ones, like Doric) versus theatre, criticizes Plato’s restriction to Phrygian, and stresses moderation, possibility, and decorum across ages.
We are now to enter into an inquiry concerning harmony and rhythm; whether all sorts of these are to be employed in education, or whether some peculiar ones are to be selected; and also whether we should give the same directions to those who are engaged in music as part of education, or whether there is something different from these two. Now, as all music consists in melody and rhythm, we ought not to be unacquainte…