The “Visions” from Tirésias: Art, Music and Understanding

Abstract

The article analyzes the possible relationships between science and symbolic systems of art. Despite the differences between these two ways to express human thinking, both aim at understanding the world and both contain the truth. It discusses the constructivist approach of Nelson Goodman, which rejects any kind of hierarchy between different forms of knowledge. The general characteristics of his epistemology illustrate the cognitive value of art and music, refuting the notion that considers experiences with them as merely ways to practice "skills" or "emotional" occasions.