Chapter 4 - Music

Abstract

Evolution of consciousness and cultures requires both differentiation and synthesis, detailed understanding and wholeness. These fundamental mechanisms of the mind and culture require and oppose each other. Language leads toward fast accumulation of knowledge, which creates contradictions, cognitive dissonances leading to discarding knowledge. Evolution of cultures required cognitive mechanisms for overcoming this tendency to discard knowledge. This mechanism was strongly emotional voice evolving toward music. Music is necessary for the entire evolution of culture. While language evolves toward more conceptual and less emotional ability, music evolves toward more emotional and less conceptual ability. While language splits psyche, music restores its unity. We come to understanding why music has such power over us: we live in the ocean of grief created by cognitive dissonances, “in much wisdom is much grief”; and music helps us alleviate this pain.