Doctrine of Ethos :: essays research papers fc

The Doctrine of Ethos states that medicament effects character and emotion of man by way of morals or ethics. It was position into certain scales, each with a certain characteristic. Specific scales were said to be able to inspire rage or sadness. Some were said to inspire happiness, and one and only(a) was even said to weaken the mind due to its simplicity. Greek music, of which the Doctrine of Ethos specifically talked about, wasnt just solely instrumental. Improvising, they usually incorporated lyrics and even dance. euphony was studied by the Greeks on a level that would be considered excessive in our society by all but our musicologists, ethnomusicologist, music theorists, and a piffling minority that take their love of music to more than just an aesthetic level. In our world, a world of empiricism and skepticism, the Doctrine of Ethos may sound a bit hard to believe. It may even sound magical and mystical, but I feel that it has some deep roots in truth. Philosophers, mus icians, and even the secular have all theorized about the effect of music on the mind, body, and soul. After all, as William Congreve said in his The Mourning Bride, Music hath charms to soothe a blast breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.It is difficult to show the effects of music on the individual, but it is easy to see how the individual chooses genres of music based on mood. The soldiers in Iraq, for instance, listened to a tenor by the band Drowning Pool titled, Let the Bodies Hit the Floor, over the speakers in their tanks. After listening to the song it would be easy to see that they didnt just choose the song because they thought it pertained to their current situation. The song is loud, fast, and hard. The song fueled the soldiers. I dont think that it made them into bloodthirsty savages, but I do think that it pumped them up with adrenaline. Walk into any random Golds middle school and Im sure you will not hear classical or new age music, but instead some sor t of rock. David in the Bible played music to soothe Saul. Due to Davids harp and voice Saul calmed down and fell asleep. This is present even in like a shots society. After work, school, or any other long, exhausting event, it isnt uncommon for people to go home and put on some comfort music in order to cure them of their horrible day.