Sound Research WIKINDX
Sound Research WIKINDX |
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Tan, L., & Lu, M. (2018). “I Wish to Be Wordless”: Philosophizing through the Chinese Guqin. Philosophy of Music Education Review, 26(2), 139. Added by: alexb44 (6/25/25, 1:40 PM) Last edited by: alexb44 (6/25/25, 1:54 PM) |
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| Resource type: Journal Article DOI: 10.2979/philmusieducrevi.26.2.03 BibTeX citation key: Tan2018 Email resource to friend View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Philosophy, Sound, Thought Creators: Lu, Tan Collection: Philosophy of Music Education Review |
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| Abstract |
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"In classical Greek philosophy, the pursuit of Truth was done primarily through logical argumentation using language as “Truth tool.” The major thinkers in classical China, on the other hand, were famously suspicious of language, with Confucius declaring, “I wish to be wordless.” They turned instead to music to express the philosophically ineffable. In this paper, we use the example of the Chinese guqin to show how music serves as “Truth tool” in the Chinese philosophical tradition; in fact, music may be Truth itself. Through a quartet of interrelated themes–namely, the “Search for Truth,” the “Search for Harmony,” the “Search for Ethical Awakening,” and the “Search for Sagehood”–we show how playing the guqin constitutes the doing of philosophy in this musical tradition. Through the guqin, performers and listeners experience Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist philosophical insights; no words are needed. We conclude by proffering implications for contemporary music education."
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| Quotes |
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p.140
"While language can guide us towards some aspects of Truth (dao 道) and enable the transmission of wisdom, as Zigong in the opening quotation wishes Confucius to do, it can only do so much. More dangerously, it can detract us away from Truth. In short, words are mere means, as Zhuangzi rather playfully, humorously, and paradoxically articulates (and for the record, using words):
"The fish trap exists because of the fish; once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap... Words exist because of meaning; once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words."" Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi is used to illustrate the classical Chinese suspicion of language as a perfect tool for expressing truth. In this tradition, music and other arts are seen as a more direct means of accessing and expressing philosophical truths, making the 'trap' of words unnecessary. Added by: alexb44Keywords: Philosophy Sound Thought |
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p.142
"what musicians play are neither the strings nor the sounds, but their heart-minds; what the audience hears are neither music nor sounds, but the musicians' innermost beings."
From the Buddhist Śūraṅgama Sūtra, used to explain the concept of mingxin (明心) (clearing the heart-mind). It posits that music is a direct expression of the musician's inner, ethical self. Therefore, the act of playing the guqin is not merely a technical exercise but a transmission of the performer's moral and spiritual state: "Since the heart-mind of the guqin player and the music she plays are one, the heart-mind needs to be clear (mingxin 明心) before the music is played" Added by: alexb44Keywords: Philosophy Sound Thought |
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p.143
"Known as zhongsheng (中声) or 'Sounds of the Mean,' this is the most comfortable and harmonious range of sounds that the human ear perceives; they allow one to be peaceful in the body and heart-mind."
Describes a Confucian ideal in guqin music called the "Harmonious Mean" (zhonghe 中和). These sounds are intentionally moderate – not too loud nor soft, high nor low – creating a sense of balance and peace for both the performer and the listener. "Philosophically, however, it is nuanced to refer to an artful avoidance of extremes, bent neither towards one end nor the other. The central guiding principle is moderation. A similar concept can be seen in Aristotle’s theory of the Golden Mean" Added by: alexb44Keywords: Philosophy Sound Thought |
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p.144
John Cage had it all figured out:
"One such phrase is dayin xisheng (大音希声), which literally translates as "Big Music, Small Sound": the quieter and more unassuming (“small sound”), the more profound the music (“big music”). By extension, the most profound music, is silence." Daoist concept illustrates that the most profound music is often the quietest and most unassuming. Explains that this idea extends to the point where silence itself can be the most profound music, a state achieved when the performer allows natural sounds to emerge or creates a "void" in the music, which the audience then fills mentally. Added by: alexb44Keywords: Philosophy Sound Thought |