Music in Plato's thought

This study aims to reveal the multifaceted function of music within Plato's philosophical legacy, which spans the domains of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and politics. The main problem of the study is how music is positioned in the Platonic system not merely as an aesthetic activity, but as the embodiment of the principles of spiritual anámnēsis (recollection), epistrophē (return), and cosmic harmony. In the first chapter, the ontological and epistemological status of music in Plato's dialogues (Republic, Timaeus, Phaedrus, Symposium) is examined, and the relationship between musical harmony and the unity of being is discussed through the concepts of eidos, nous, and harmonia. The second chapter addresses the methodological foundations of soul education within the framework of Plato's concept of paideia, based on the distinction between gymnastikē and mousikē. The subsequent chapter explores the historical development of Platonic musical metaphysics by examining Neoplatonic and modern interpretations of the dialogues. The study concludes that, in Plato's thought, music acts as an epistemic tool that balances the tripartite structure of the psukhē (desire, reason, will); promotes the virtues of measure, courage, and harmony on the ethical plane; and serves as an essential element of instruction for the harmony of the soul in early childhood education. In the metaphysical context, music functions as an ontological cornerstone that translates cosmic order into the sensory realm and activates nous. Ultimately, the Platonic conception of music offers a comprehensive model that bridges the ancient and the modern. In this framework, music is proposed as an epistemic, ethical, and pedagogical instrument that contributes both to the spiritual transformation of the individual and to social harmony.