Elizabeth Claire Duris
This project offers an in-depth analysis of the creation myth as described in Plato’s Tingeus, in an effort to discuss his overall approach to the relationship between the soul, music in education, and wellness. The immortal soul of humankind, by this approach, shares a certain harmonic rhythm with the divine and the World Soul as created by the Demiurge. This harmony in the mimetic form of music is a tool, provided as a means for attunement and stability by the Demiurge and the lesser gods, for the sake of humankind, as well as their own goals of achieving certain missing perfections. The immmortal soul’s experience of embodiment and exposure to the sensible world isdescribed as tumultuous and chaotic upon the soul, thus requiring constant attunement. Music is a mechanism capable of turning the individual towards that which is Good. Music is a mimetic art, imitating the harmonies of the divine much of the creation myth is spent exposing the layers of mimetic relationships between the Demiurge, his creations, and the gifts provided by the gods to humankind. Its mimetic nature elevates its importance and allows it to alter the moral nature of an individual. Because of this relationship that it shares, Plato places music at a place of utmost importance, paired with gymnastics, in a proper education to help acclimate the soul
