For thousands of years philosophy has been shaped as people’s ideas have been articulated into language and expression. Be it through myths and stories, epics poems and plays or deeper thoughts written about the meaning of life and the universe as a whole, philosophy has been a huge definer of culture.
Where are today’s philosophers? Today’s philosophers are our musicians. No longer is philosophy confined to the ivory towers of the world. No one seems to have the will to embark on that high climb anymore. Instead it has taken a new shape, or perhaps an old shape rediscovered, in the arts. Music in particular is the mode of the today’s culture’s thoughts about life and meaning. If you want to know what people hold as valuable, look to the songs. If you want to observe someone’s deepest fears and anxieties, look to the music they listen to. If you want to view a soul bared, look to the words they put to melody. Even the way people use their bodies to perform their lyrics express their philosophies.
The question is, is today’s philosophy productive in its quest for meaning? Are any answers being found? Are any theories being formulated? Or instead of the quest for knowledge has today’s philosophy become simply the culture of the status quo. Has philosophy lost it’s love of knowledge, the very thing the word means? Has philosophy become more about what’s “normal” and “acceptable” and “what everybody’s doing” than the quest for truth?
It seems only natural that philosophy has taken this route. After all, we live in a postmodern society. Today’s postmodern philosophers are our musicians.
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February 21, 2007 at 12:24 am |
This is actually pretty deep. I have a bachelors in philosophy and I would definitely agree with you. Finally someone that has shared one of my own thoughts! I would almost describe the arts as the blossom or fruit of a culture’s philosophy of life. What difficult is that there are so many subcultures in America and the world that it is hard to pinpoint an underlying idea. A big theme in rock/alternative is someone losing the love of their life or someone they cared about. There are other themes, but I’ve definitely noticed that one.
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February 21, 2007 at 1:55 am |
I heard a brilliant quote once, but I didn’t get to write it down, maybe someone else can remember it? It went something like this: Never mind who writes a nation’s laws, it is those who write the songs that control the country.
I agree that song writer’s own the hearts and minds of the nation today. They aren’t taking those hearts and minds on a valuable journey. They aren’t looking for truth. Two decades ago, songs were about love. As you say, that has changed, today they just seem to be looking for an escape from pain.
Who will teach the new philosophers to think?
February 21, 2007 at 6:15 am |
Interesting concept. And with the increasing mash up of media on the web, one can introduce musico-philosophical concept into the data stream as easily as entering a text. Ultimately, a cheery thought!
February 21, 2007 at 1:02 pm |
It was Andrew Fletcher who said, “Let me write the songs of a nation – I don’t care who writes its laws.” Ravi Zacharias does quote him in one of his Let My People Think messages.
February 21, 2007 at 3:10 pm |
Thank you Krista, now I know! I think it was Ravi Zacharias that I first heard mention the quote. Andrew Fletcher captured that aspect of society well – and well ahead of his time too.
June 11, 2007 at 11:16 pm |
[...] for the glory of God. I think in our day and age we have lost our appreciation for the classics. Today’s philosophers are the musicians. Song is itself a type of poetry. But that poetry is not the same as the poetry of [...]
November 3, 2007 at 9:31 am |
["It was the British musician Andrew Fletcher who said, “Let me write the songs of a nation - I don’t care who writes its laws.”]
Andrew Fletcher was a Scottish writer and politician
November 15, 2007 at 3:15 am |
You’re right. Thanks for the correction. I confused him with a musician by the same name. I came across the Ravi Zacharias sermon tonight and he says it was the politician.
April 24, 2008 at 1:55 am |
I am quite surprise to read you all. You all are seem victim of this system I mean post-modernism where lust, sex, sports and art are everything. How funny it is to read that todays’ philosophers are our musicians, this defines declining of contemporary philosophical discourse and emerging new philosophies.
December 4, 2008 at 2:21 pm |
Moin Ahmed, I believe that what the article is saying, and what everyone who commented touched upon, is that our movies, novels, and songs are one level in which we can observe the philosophy of their creators and their audience.
Certainly there are theoretical levels of philosophical thinking, such as Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. The point, though, is that our thinking, and, consequently, our behavior, are very much shaped by the movies we watch, books we read, and songs we hear because, let’s face it, we are consumed by these things more often and much more than we are with anything else.
February 18, 2009 at 3:42 pm |
I don’t think things changed radically in our days.
The influence of philosophy in people’s thinking was not as big as we asume today. It was allways easier to take in consideration the cheap alternatives offered in each era not only by musicians but also by other entertainers. The majority of ancient times wouldn’t pay to much attention to Plato or Aristotel as many of them were illiterate but they had their own alternatives to fill their lives.
Bottom line: the popular culture of the time was, is and will be a very important and influential component of a nation’s life. To that we have to add today the media which is another powerfull tool for shaping the thinking of crowds. The sad thing is the influence is not use for a general purpose, in a postmodern era, but is a confusing mixture of oposite voices and ideas in a fighting that never ends…
And is also sad that most of us are observers of this show and we don nothing for a positif change …
May 29, 2009 at 1:38 pm |
Philosophy is not at the level where we reason to find truth but at the level of feeling good at all cost. That is why the media can play upon the immature minds with sexual images and lure them with lustful lyrics that are very suggestive. WE have to find a way to get back to the renewing of our minds with a zeal for absolute truth. Putting aside the lust for humanistic selfish satisfaction. We can forge a better way for ourselves and our children.
July 7, 2009 at 4:29 pm |
Actually, you are both wrong. The quote “Let me write the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes it’s laws.” was coined by Daniel O’Connell in the 18th century.
August 3, 2009 at 1:04 pm |
Well, Actually it was Plato who said, “Give me the songs of a nation and it matters not who writes its laws.”
August 6, 2009 at 4:07 pm |
Plato said this over a thousand years ago. it was not some modern philosopher or artist.
what is meant is that the songs, ie the stories, of a people form the culture of a people, and the culture determines what sort of laws will be written.