Paris: Brentano, 1927), 26. 2. By "philosophy" is here meant the metaphysical views that concern the ultimate nature of the universe, who, or what, created it (if it was created at all), how it Vol.6, No. 3 McDonough: Melvilleʼs New Seafarerʼs Philosophy in Moby-Dick 212 Melvilleʼs acquaintances lamented that he often wanted to talk less about his novels than he did about Greek philosophy, in particular Plato and Aristotle. 3 The paper argues that, apart from some very general convictions about the nature of the universe, Moby-Dick does not state any precise philosophical theses.Rather, it belongs to that rare genre of philosophical works, including Wittgensteinʼs Tractatus and some of Heideggerʼs later writings, that attempt to set the limits of philosophy. 4 There are four main claims in the paper.The first is that Moby-Dick advances the Ancient Greek microcosmic view that living organisms, like human beings and whales, are miniature copies of the whole cosmos. 5 The second is that understanding ourselves and the cosmos is beyond the limits of human comprehension, indeed, that it is suicidal to attempt to fathom ultimate cosmic truths.The third, concerning that "old quarrel between philosophy and poetry," 6 is that Moby-Dick is more akin to poetry than to philosophy as ordinarily understood.The fourth is that Moby-Dick distinguishes between the traditional conception of rational philosophy, at home the land, and a more daring poetic philosophy that emerges from life on the chaotic seas of life.The paper first discusses the philosophical significance of Ishmaelʼs role in Moby-Dick.This is followed by a discussion of Moby-Dickʼs microcosmic View.The paper then argues that Moby-Dick holds that knowledge of the cosmos and microcosms is unattainable and dangerous for human beings.On this basis, the paper argues that Moby-Dick is really a kind of philosophical poetry rather than a novel proper.The paper proceeds to argue that Moby-Dick attempts to disclose a kind of poetic truth that is more fundamental than propositional truth.Finally, the paper argues that that Moby-Dick expresses a new kind of "seafarerʼs" philosophy that anticipates Nietzscheʼs view of philosophy in Thus Spake Zarathustra.was created, for what purpose, and in what sense, if any, it is good or beautiful.Derivative philosophical issues concerning proper behavior, taste, and the like are not at issue here.3. Mark Anderson, "Platonic and Nietzschean Themes of Transformation in Moby-Dick," in Melville Among the Philosophers, ed.Cory McCall and Tom Nurmi (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2017), 27-31.4. Wittgensteinʼs Tractatus (6.54, 7) holds that there are "mystical" things that cannot be "said" in words.Heidegger states that Heraclitus and Parmenides where not philosophers because they were "the greater thinkers."Heidegger sees metaphysical thinking as a decline from superior thinking of the Pre-Socratics.[

Although treatises on singing from the 17 th to the 19 th centuries focused singing instructions on solo performance, the principles contained in them were intended to be applied to choral performance as well. Domenico Corri specifies that his treatise The Singers Preceptor or Corri's Treatise on Vocale Music (1810) ‘…is expressly calculated to teach the Art of Singing …accommodated to the capacity of every student whether amateur or professional, theatrical, or choral.’ This paper explores contrasting rhetorical means employed by Bach in his motet Jesu meine Freude and by Handel in Messiah with implications for choral performance practice. Bach’s motet Jesu meine Freude shows a clear relationship between structure and hermeneutics. Employing a familiar rhetorical structure, he states an argument (inventio), gives it clarity through form (dispositio), and presents it using compositional devices consistent with Figurenlehre (decoratio). The listener’s passions are moved through Affektenlehre (pronunciatio), thereby eliciting a response to a theological argument. In contrast, Handel reveals the skill of an orator in Messiah where embellishing the text (decoratio or elocutio) forms the basis for an expressive performance (pronunciatio) in the arias and choruses. Bach employs a dialectical approach to elicit a passionate response from his listeners, as would a preacher. Handel moves the passions of his listeners with the oratorical skills of an actor. Understanding these contrasts encourages a more affective performance of the text, thereby achieving Michael Praetorius’s admonition to ‘…sing with art and grace so that the heart of the listener is stirred and the affections are moved.’ (Syntagma musicum, tomus tertius, 1619)