Maung, Hane Htut (2026) Canonic counterpoint as a philosophical practice : mind, meaning, and metaphysics in Renaissance and Baroque musical composition. Philosophical Psychology. ISSN 0951-5089
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
In an essay entitled “Schopenhauer’s Flute and Descartes’s Lute” (2024), Helen De Cruz asks: “what can musical practice tell us about philosophy?” The present paper offers an answer to this question, with a specific focus on the musical practice of canonic counterpoint in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. I examine two ways in which this musical practice is philosophically significant. First, drawing on work on musical representation through convention and resemblance, I argue that canonic counterpoint as a form can convey philosophical ideas. Second, drawing on contrapuntal treatises and recent work on modal property perception, I argue that canonic counterpoint as a procedure can yield insights into the perceptual and reasoning processes of musicians. This analysis highlights how musical composition can be a medium for engaging with philosophy.