Claim CB421:
Evolution does not explain music.
Response:
- This is an argument from incredulity. Not
knowing how
something is explained does not mean it cannot be explained.
- There is evidence that music is related to language. An out-of-place
chord triggers a part of the brain that recognizes correct syntax
(Clarke 2001; Maess et al. 2001). Thus an appreciation of music could
have arisen, at least in part, as a side-effect of the evolution of
language.
Another hypothesis is that music arose in parallel with sociality, as a
means of linking people through such communal activities as dance and
rhythm (Benzon 2001).
References:
- Benzon, 2001. (see below).
- Clarke, Tom, 2001 (23 Apr). Chords strike a grammatical note. Nature
Science Update, http://www.nature.com/nsu/010426/010426-4.html
- Maess, B., S. Koelsch, T. C. Gunter and A. D. Friederici, 2001.
Musical syntax is processed in Broca's area: an MEG study. Nature
Neuroscience 4: 540-545.
Further Reading:
Benzon, William L., 2001. Beethoven's Anvil: Music in mind and
culture. New York: Basic Books.
created 2001-4-29, modified 2003-7-11
