Harmony of the Spheres: Music in the Pythagorean-Platonic Tradition
Dr. Sebastian F. Moro Tornese
Spring 2025
This course examines ancient conceptions of music (mousikê) and the philosophical vision of musica contemplativa as a profound expression of cosmic harmony, tracing its development from Orphic and Pythagorean cosmogonies through Plato's Timaeus and culminating in the Neoplatonic synthesis of Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus, and Proclus. Central to this tradition is the belief that music, as a unifying force (henôsis) present from the origin of the universe, mirrors the metaphysical principles of reality and the cosmic order, embodying the harmony of the World-Soul, the celestial spheres, and the human soul.
Key Themes
Musical Cosmology: Exploring how music reflects the cosmic and metaphysical principles of reality, which aligns with Neoplatonic notions about the harmony of the spheres, the World-Soul, and the soul's journey. These aspects reflects how the essence of reality is understood thanks to a conception of creation through sound. The quaternary structure of the cosmos, symbolized by the tetraktys (the sacred decadic triangle of the Pythagoreans), reflects the harmony of creation, including the four seasons, the elements, and their connection to the World-Soul together with the importance of other numeric principles such as the pentad and the heptad, etc.
Soul's Attunement: The macrocosm and the microcosm are connected thanks to different modes or manifestations of music. How music mediates between the intelligible and sensible worlds, following the paradigm of the harmony of the World-Soul, thereby aligning the human soul with divine principles through contemplation and practice.
Music and the Scala Naturae: The soul's ascent through the cosmic hierarchy, guided by musician gods and the harmony of the spheres. The ladder can be linked to the orbits of the planets, the liberal arts and mythological archetypes are also evoked for example in the order of the days of the week.
Philosophical Foundations: Readings from Orphic fragments, Pythagorean texts, and Platonic dialogues and Neoplatonic commentaries illuminate music's role as a bridge between the One and the many.
Resonance of the Cosmos: Exploring how sound reflects the structure of reality and the unity and interconnectedness of being, according to a sonic metaphysics. The harmony of the spheres becomes perceptible to the luminous vehicle of the soul (ochêma) in the case of Pythagoras and possibly in states that follow musical catharsis and mimesis or assimilation. The symbolic role of musical instruments in mediating these cosmic forces is also examined, with some associated with ether, others with air, and so on.
Students will gain insight into the metaphysical significance of music as a medium of cosmic attunement and self-discovery.
Nine Saturdays Live on Zoom
10 AM — 11:30 AM PST
March 22 — May 23, 2025
This course examines ancient conceptions of music (mousikê) and the philosophical vision of musica contemplativa as a profound expression of cosmic harmony, tracing its development from Orphic and Pythagorean cosmogonies through Plato's Timaeus and culminating in the Neoplatonic synthesis of Plotinus, Porphyry, lamblichus, and Proclus.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Moro Tornese pursued studies in the United States and later moved to Spain where he earned a Master's degree from the University of Oviedo. Subsequently, at Royal Holloway, he completed his doctoral work under the supervision of Professor Anne Sheppard with the support of scholarships from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK, and The Hellenic Institute at Royal Holloway. His focus was on the Neoplatonic philosophy of music, exploring the concept of cosmic harmony in Proclus' Commentaries on Plato's Timaeus and Republic.
He engaged in postdoctoral projects at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, with a Haas Association scholarship, and at the Eugenio Trías Center for Philosophical Studies, sponsored by "Caixa Bank". His postdoctoral research delved into the philosophical implications of Pythagorean-Neoplatonic musical thought, studying concepts such as universal harmony, cosmic sympathy and the musical conception of the "Anima Mundi" ("World Soul") and "Scala naturae" (Great Chain of Being).
He served as an associate professor of Medieval philosophy at Pompeu Fabra University, where he also taught courses on Ancient and Medieval Aesthetics and Philosophy of Music. Additionally, he was a professor of Rhetoric in the Master's program in Literary Journalism and Humanities at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.