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The Philosophical Debate

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Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?

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Abstract

In this chapter, Garrido offers an in-depth discussion of the various explanations for why we are attracted to sad music that have been proposed across history by philosophers over the centuries from the time of Aristotle until the present day. The discussion covers questions such as whether sad music actually makes us feel sad and the possible psychological functions that may be fulfilled by listening to sad music.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MARCS Institute for Brain Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Milperra, NSW, Australia

    Sandra Garrido

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  1. Sandra Garrido
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Garrido, S. (2017). The Philosophical Debate. In: Why Are We Attracted to Sad Music?. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39666-8_3

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