Sonic Methodology in Philosophy

Investigating the nature of sound and how we experience it is important not only for the comprehension of the functioning of audition but also because, on the one hand, it helps us understand the role of sensory perception in general within the architecture of the mind and, on the other hand, it tests commonsensical claims on the functioning of perception which are usually based on vision. !at is, the investigation of hearing and sounds can be seen as a ‘sonic’ methodology which serves to understand perception with regard to its peculiar object and its relationship with space and time. I argue that the study of sound and auditory experience can be seen as a very successful methodology in philosophy in order to develop and enhance the understanding of perception as a whole and to enrich our comprehension of the experience of space and time.