Question Does music create emotion, or does it bring to the surface existing emotions?

Accepted:
November 12, 2005

Comments

Music can certainly bring about emotions, and I think it can also make us conscious of ones that we already have. It may bring about emotions in a variety of ways. A work of music may remind us of something and produce emotion in that way, or it may move us when we recognize its quality or expressive power, or it may encourage us to imagine certain things and--in so doing--arouse emotion. An interesting question is whether we should understood the expressive nature of certain pieces of music in terms of their tendency to arouse emotions. Simply put: Are works of music sad because they are disposed to make us sad? I think there are reasons to doubt this. For example, it seems to me that one may recognize the sadness of a piece of music w/out feeling any inclination to sadness--and that this is true even under the best listening conditions. That certainly doesn't settle the issue, but it does suggest that we should look for an account of the expressive qualities of music in some other place.

Question Does music create emotion, or does it bring to the surface existing emotions? Accepted:November 12, 2005

Question Does music create emotion, or does it bring to the surface existing emotions?

Accepted:
November 12, 2005