Music, Value, and the Passions
Worth buying if: You enjoy philosophy that takes music and feeling as serious subjects.
Skip it if: You are looking for a history of popular music, composer biographies, or performance criticism.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780801430350. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
In Music, Value, and the Passions, Aaron Ridley considers music through the linked questions of value and emotional response. The book offers a focused philosophical treatment of why music matters.
Why this book now
As listening becomes ever more central to daily life, Ridley’s questions about music’s value and emotional force remain timely.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy philosophy that takes music and feeling as serious subjects.
- You want a compact, focused study of why music matters.
- You are looking for a history of popular music, composer biographies, or performance criticism.
- You prefer plot-driven reading over abstract discussion of value and emotion.
- You only want something with very current references and examples.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780801430350
Worth buying if: You enjoy philosophy that takes music and feeling as serious subjects.
Skip it if: You are looking for a history of popular music, composer biographies, or performance criticism.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At 199 pages, this is a compact scholarly read, though its philosophical arguments reward careful attention.
What stands out here
This Cornell University Press catalog record identifies the 1995 edition at 199 pages.
Best way to approach it
Read slowly, tracking how Ridley connects musical value with the passions rather than treating the chapters as background reading.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780801430350
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.