Sunday, May 10, 2015

Answering Philosophical Questions

Answering Philosophical Questions
            Yesterday I posted a little ten question test of one’s knowledge of music philosophy. The answers are” 1) C, 2) D, 3) false, 4) false, 5) C, 6) A, 7) D, 8) D, 9) D, 10) C. It doesn’t matter so much how many of the questions you answered correctly; what really matters is whether or not you are trying to come to grips with philosophical issues.  I have told my college classes frequently that it doesn’t matter as much exactly where you draw the line on philosophical issues as it matters that you know what you believe and why you believe what you believe.  Those who have little or no idea what they believe many times do not draw any philosophical lines when it comes to musicing unto God.
            Everything that a Christian musician does is the result of some belief or lack of belief.  It is much simpler to refuse to establish firm beliefs than it is to establish musical beliefs and carry out those beliefs when one musics unto God.  A music philosophy is a series of systematic beliefs about the nature and value of music.  For a music philosophy to be systematic it must be based on some presupposition or series of presuppositions.  Every music philosopher bases his or her music philosophy on presuppositions; the Christian musician’s presuppositions should be mainly based on what the Bible says about music. That does not mean that the Bible gives exhaustive truth about music, but what it does offer to every musician is “true truth”.

 

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