Heidegger and Music

Although philosophers have examined and commented on music for centuries, Martin Heidegger, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, had frustratingly little to say about music--directly, at least. This volume, the first to tackle Heidegger and music, features contributions from philosophers, musicians, educators, and musicologists from many countries throughout the world, aims to utilize Heidegger’s philosophy to shed light on the place of music in different contexts and fields of practice. Heidegger’s thought is applied to a wide range of musical spheres, including improvisation, classical music, electronic music, African music, ancient Chinese music, jazz, rock n’ roll, composition, and musical performance. The volume also features a wide range of philosophical insights on the essence of music, music’s place in society, and the promise of music’s ability to open up new ways of understanding the world with the onset of the technological and digital musical age. Heidegger and Music breaks new philosophical ground by showcasing creative vignettes that not only push Heidegger’s concepts in new directions, but also get us to question the meaning of music in various contexts.

Casey Rentmeester is the director of general education and associate professor of philosophy at Bellin College in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. He is author of the book Heidegger and the Environment.

Jeff R. Warren is professor of music and humanities at Quest University Canada. He is author of the book, Music and Ethical Responsibility and several peer-reviewed articles. His creative work includes sound recording, sound installations, and performance on double bass.