Plato’s Philosophy of Music and Its Echo in the Renaissance

My research project lies at the intersection of philosophical, philological and musicological questions, bringing together insights from all these three disciplines. In my dissertation, I focus on two main aspects: (1) the role μουσική plays within Plato’s philosophy (with a focus on his epistemology, cosmology, political philosophy, aesthetics and ethics); (2) the impact Plato’s notions on music had on Renaissance music and music theory.
The overall aim of my interdisciplinary project is to show that, even after so many centuries, Plato’s thoughts on music never ceased to resonate, but even served as a theoretical basis for the evolution of new musical ideas regarding harmony, rhythm, and music notation in the influential era of the Renaissance.