Blog: Music – The Language of Humanity

Since ancient times, music has been one of the most important tools for expressing moods and collective emotions on various occasions

Souad Khalil | Libya

Music has accompanied human beings for millennia. It has been the voice of collective emotions, an expression of memory, a companion of rituals, and a tool of beauty and reflection. However, can it truly be considered a universal language that unites peoples beyond words, ethnicities, and cultures? This article explores the value of music in human history, philosophy, and ancient aesthetic thought, from Plato to modern theories on language and sound.

Since ancient times, music has been one of the most important tools for expressing moods and collective emotions on various occasions, for thousands of years—in the depths of human history. It is said that music is considered a universal language due to its fundamental shared characteristics in its melodic and rhythmic material, the instruments and equipment used worldwide, as well as its extraordinary ability to express emotions, sensations, and feelings shared by all human beings. It represents a means of communication and understanding with all people, of all races and languages.

So, can it be considered a universal language among them?

There is no doubt that when the humans distinguished pleasant sounds from unpleasant ones, music appeared in its concept of entertainment. Its primary purpose was expressive and general, close to the concept of language. Recently, theories have emerged about a single origin or common origins of many language groups, but these theories were challenged in the 20th century by views supporting the existence of different language groups that arose from independent languages. The words common to these groups would have transferred from one language or linguistic group to another through geographic and cultural contact and due to many other factors. However, advances in linguistics, developments in computer science, and genetics have revived credibility in the theory of a single origin of languages.

If we return to the very origin of the word “music,” it derives from Greek, where it was considered in an almost mythological way as an art inspired directly and created by the Muse, the goddess of the arts. Professor Mohammed Ghobashi, in a study, states that in ancient Greece there were three muses: the muse of study (science), the muse of memory, and the muse of singing. Over time, each art form had its own patron goddess. Legends preceding the era of Homer tell of Orpheus, the servant of Apollo, an enchanting singer and poet, who was the son of one of the muses. His voice possessed magical powers, capable of healing the sick and strengthening spirits during religious ceremonies. Plato, speaking about the sophist Protagoras, mentioned the captivating effect of his eloquence and Orpheus’ songs on their listeners.

Let us consider the history of music starting from the era of Plato, the most famous philosopher. He believed that music, in its modern or classical meaning, should be used to promote moral virtue. Although he was not among the first to discuss the moral effects of music on personality and human behavior, he remains a historically significant figure and a fundamental starting point for any study of the aesthetic philosophy of music. His works did not represent a synthesis between ancient Eastern and Western theories but included the musical traditions practiced by the Athenian generation before him, upon which he based his ideas and writings on music.

Plato considered music superior to the other arts because the influence of rhythm and melody on the inner soul and the emotional life of a person is stronger than that of architecture, painting, or sculpture. Thus, a child who listens to the right melodies develops, without realizing it, subtle habits and abilities that allow them to distinguish good from evil. Music, by shaping the child’s character and stabilizing their emotions, guides them toward full awareness, which Plato defined as the noblest form of knowledge. Music and physical exercise played a vital role in his educational system: according to him, music should not follow physical exercise but rather precede and control it, since it is the soul that shapes the body, not the other way around. Moreover, physical exercise could become harsh and lead to a rough character, while music had the task of softening and calming such traits.

The most important point in Plato’s philosophy of music is that music, as an educational and cultural discipline, should be used to promote moral virtue. In his work Timaeus, Plato envisioned the universe as created from geometric elements but connected nature to mystical models of relationships. According to him, music was given to humans so they could live a harmonious and wise life.

Let us now turn to language, which can also be considered a form of music. What is the connection between the two? Music assumed its aesthetic meaning when sound intervals were clearly distinguished. Language, on the other hand, is a succession of words with different tonal levels. This distinction between music and language, according to these definitions, does not apply to primitive music, which uses all sound sources without exception: whispers, words, singing, and even shouting.

Let us return to what Professor Mohammed Ghobashi wrote about Plato’s view on the musical innovations of his time, which he neither accepted nor tolerated. Plato approved only the traditional style, in which lyrical poetry was recited or sung accompanied by music. Indeed, in Greek cultural life, poetry and music were inseparable, twin elements of enchanting sounds. The word “music” referred to both poetry and melody. Plato considered one more important than the other. Since language is the direct expression of the mind, he believed that the poetic word held a higher place than melody, being a product of intellect. Melody, on the other hand, aimed only to provide pleasure to the ear.

And even though Plato claimed that the poetic text is superior because music is subordinate to it, he was more annoyed than others by musicians who composed music without words, solely for the pleasure of listening to pleasant sounds. He wrote:

“When there are no words, it is very difficult to understand the meaning of harmony and rhythm, or to know whether they imitate something of value.”

Plato saw simplicity in music as a reflection of natural law. According to him, music could help man achieve harmony between his finite soul and the infinite one, gently blending thoughts and actions in accordance with the harmony of the celestial bodies. Confused and disorderly sounds were not only alien to Greek culture but also led to a conflict between the human soul and the ideal order of the universe.

He believed that the effects of music on human emotions were dangerous, similar to a form of witchcraft. For this reason, according to him, musical compositions and works had to be of a simple nature. He feared that overly delicate musical tendencies could weaken the nerves of Athenian citizens, leaving Athens at the mercy of its enemies.

This is how we understand that the term “music” is of Greek origin, entering Arabic usage after the translation of the Greek heritage into Arabic by translators and commentators in the city of Baghdad, the capital of culture, sciences, and arts of the Arab-Islamic world during the early Abbasid period. From that moment, the term began to denote the art of melody and harmonic sounds, used to refer to the professionals and creators of this art.

Before adopting this term, Arab artists during the Umayyad era used different expressions to describe this art form, such as “the art of melody,” “the art of sounds,” “singing,” and “ecstasy,” from which derive the words: composer, singer, performer, chanter, and musician — terms still in use today.

A study by Hugo La Bethencourt suggests that vocal languages could be the primary source of both language and music. In these languages, the way a syllable is pronounced plays a role in determining and changing its meaning. This means that such languages are musical by nature, especially when sung. Music, therefore, simply adds a melodic element to the inflections already present in the pronunciation of words.

Language tends toward a free rhythm, while music follows a regular rhythm. However, the main obstacle to this theory remains the fact that we know very little about the languages of so-called primitive civilizations. In these societies, language, calls, imitations of animal sounds, and the rhythm of movements take on a musical character whenever humans seek a more effective means to communicate or express their emotions and desires. In other words, music assumes a psychological dimension or an additional form of expression.

In a study published by Professor Mohammed Ghobashi on the subject, he highlights the similarity between vocal and musical rhythm. For example, war cries uttered by fighters have a magical effect. Even meaningless words, sometimes trivial or ambiguous, can take on deep significance within a song. The listener accepts the repetition of the same words in music, whereas in spoken language it would become boring.

In this sense, music casts a neutral or absolute veil over what is subjective or concrete, giving it an objective, lasting, and symbolic aspect. It is known that the first sounds emitted by humans were musical attempts, such as imitations of animal calls or natural sounds, in a sort of ritual.

Thus, vocal languages were the primary source of both language and music, and since music—or rather, the way a syllable is pronounced—can change its meaning, these languages are musical by nature.

Music and language are both connected to hearing and the throat. However, the former originates primarily from listening, while the latter is produced by the throat and the tongue. For this reason, the word that refers to “language” is often the same as that for “tongue” in most of the world’s languages, as seen in Semitic and Indo-European languages. In some Semitic languages, the term used for music is instead “listening,” which confirms the central role of the ear in music and of the tongue in language.

In a world increasingly divided by languages, borders, and identities, music perhaps remains the last language capable of touching every heart. It is a shared emotional code, a voice that precedes and transcends words. Born from instinct and refined by culture, it connects generations and peoples, giving voice to what silence holds back. Music, therefore, is not just art: it is understanding, memory, and hope.

Read: Folk Arts – A Global Bond

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Souad Khalil is a Libyan writer, poet, and translator. She has been writing on culture, literature and other general topics.