U UN NI IV VE ER RS SI IT TY Y O OF F M MA AD DR RA AS S

S SC CH HO OO OL L O OF F F FI IN NE E A AN ND D P PE ER RF FO OR RM MI IN NG G A AR RT TS S
D DE EP PA AR RT TM ME EN NT T O OF F I IN ND DI IA AN N M MU US SI IC C

SEMINAR FOR Ph.D. RESEARCH SCHOLARS IN MUSIC

KEYNOTE ADDRESS
01-03-1999

Research in the Sciences and in the Humanism
Dr. R.Sathyanarayana

Definition

Let me commence with a definition of the term research in relevance to this workshop:
For me, research is the process of discovering, rediscovering, or ascertaining the truth, reality or
fact. In this sense, research is any scholarly investigation in search of truth, reality or fact. It
suffices to note, for the moment, without elaboration, that the semantic streams of the terms truth
and reality follow the contours of the hinterlands of ontology, epistemology and semantics.
Research may also be defined as a careful and critical inquiry or examination in seeking facts or
principles, or more generally, as a diligent investigation to ascertain something.

In the social sciences and the humanities research involves manipulation of things,
concepts or symbols with the object of generalisation. Such generalisation is aimed at extension,
correction or verification of knowledge; such knowledge may be used in constructing a theory or
aid in the practice of an art. In the sciences on the other hand, research involves the use of
appropriate methods in attempting to discover new knowledge, to develop new applications of
existing knowledge, or to explore the relationships between ideas and events. All scientific
discoveries, technical achievements and scholarly problems may be viewed as products of
research. Research in pure sense is wont to bring recognition and academic satisfaction while
research in technological applications of science likely to bring cash.

TRENDS

Two modern trends in scientific research deserve to be noticed: Firstly, it used to be an
activity of individual enterprise and temper and therefore lacking direction, focus and
coordination in its totality. Now it tends to be institutionalised or organised in to group work. But
this also tends to mask individual motivations, initiatives and brilliances. Secondly, what were
once viewed as distinct terms and phases viz. hypothesis, theory, model, explanation, description,
conceptualisation etc. are now being regarded as different aspects or approaches to the same
process viewed as a whole.

SCIENCE

As a humble student of the sciences and the humanisms for about half a century, let me engage in
a brief, general comparison between them.
In the first place, science is only a generic name and not a single discipline of knowledge
like physics, chemistry, botany, astronomy and so on. Nor does it command a general
methodology or a conceptual base. The physical and the biological sciences
1. deal with inanimate reality
2. are based on inductive and logicohypothetical methods
3. aim at developing mechanistic models based on the Cartesian cut
4. use mathematics as a tool for argument, and
5. deal with the so-called absolute laws of reality which are characterised by mechanism and
deterministic probability. The hallmark of any scientific research is two fold: reproducibility
and tested fact.
Reproducibility in a scientific investigation means that if or when a given set of experimental
conditions are exactly reproduced, it generates exactly the same result or results; tested fact
means that a particular state, aspect or condition of reality must remain constant when tested by
anyone, anywhere, or anytime. Such constancy and the infallibility of inductive reasoning, as also
the infallibility of the law of causation are among the basic assumptions of the so-called scientific
method, which is based on the triad of experiment-observation-inference.

The spectacular or dramatic technological achievements in the applied sciences and the
so-called proofs of pure sciences have generally served to dazzle the philosophical perceptions
in respect of the inherent weaknesses of the scientific method, so that science has come to present
to the common man an image of infallibility and of a pathway to absolute or ultimate truth. A real
scientist or a philosopher of science harbours no such illusions and is acutely aware of its
limitations. Let me mention just two such limitations: K.Poppet shown that a scientific theory can
only be shown to be not falsified, to be only verified, and never confirmed by empirical. This
explodes the myth of proving scientific theories with experimental evidence. Secondly, the so-
called laws of reality reflect only a dualism between a shifting panorama of some experience on
the one hand and a set of scientific schemes seeking to anticipate important characteristics of the
same panorama on the other. So science is defined as a methodological system of approach to
knowledge. With this broad definition, it can now include many human and social branches of
knowledge also.

Besides the above, the scientific method inheres the following epistemological
assumptions as constraints, which means that it is as arbitrary as any other:
i) Induction can provide information.
ii) Deductive processes such as logical or mathematical reasoning are valid means to
knowledge.
iii) Infallibility of the law of causality i.e. precedence of cause-antecedence of effect, the
same cause always produces the same effect, the same effect always inheres the same
cause, one-to-one relation between cause and effect. Early Indian logic has shown the
fallibility of some of these assumptions.
iv) Referential reality inheres order and regularity; these may be discovered by scientific,
philosophic, historical etc. methods.
v) Dependability of scientific observers i.e. reliability of their perceptual and sensory
abilities and memory.
vi) Observers position of observation may be eliminated without affecting the observed
phenomenon.
vii) Belief that subjective awareness of objective reality is identical and constant.
viii) Belief that apparent reality is a means to ultimate reality.
ix) Belief that the whole is the sum of the parts.
Scientific investigation or research is valid only in so far as the foregoing limitations are
admitted.

HUMANISM

The term humanism has by and large replaced the name humanities, which in University
Curricula included languages, literature, arts, religion, philosophy, history etc.

Humanism is defined as that which is characteristically human and not external to nature.
It raises man to his greatest height and to his greatest satisfaction. It means
a) reasonable balance in life.
b) study of humanities.
c) freedom from religiosity.
d) vivid interest in all sides of life.
e) intense response to human passion.
f) philosophy in which Man is the centre and sanction.

Some differences between research in the sciences and in humanism may be briefly
noted:
The objective in the sciences is inanimate reality while in humanisms it is human or
social value. The considerations, method and model deal with the inanimate in the sciences while
they are related to value of the spirit or of beauty. Reproducibility of results and predictability are
possible in the sciences but not so in humanism. The scientific method is based entirely on causal
relations, which are not always clear in the humanistic method. Theory or interpretation is not
addressed to, or based on, contemporary environment in the sciences, while this is of the highest
relevance in humanism. Only in vitro methods are possible in the laboratory methods in the
sciences while in the arts, especially performing arts, in vivo techniques are more meaningful.
Research in the sciences always proceeds with a control group as a base for comparison, while it
is not always possible in humanistic research. The goal of scientific investigation is
generalisation, which is not always clear in humanistic methodologies. The language of
communication in scientific research is highly stylised, technical, terse and often mathematical.
Such a language is not possible in the humanism disciplines.

Musicology

Musicology is the field of musical research. It involves the careful and critical inquiry or
examination in seeking facts or principles relating to music. So everything written about music is
not musicology. Research in it must possess an acceptable quality of scholarship. Science of
music is often confined to acoustics, physiology or psychology as applied to music. The art of
music concerns the activities of composition, performance, listening, auditoria, pedagogy etc. The
science of music concerns knowledge in these areas and therefore presumes sensitivity to the art
of music. So a research scholar in music must be familiar, in the best Indian tradition, familiar
with both the theory and practice of music.

Research in Music and the Sciences: A Comparison

In view of the highly specialised nature of the present workshop, I shall confine the
comparison of research between sciences and only musicology among the humanities.

1. In music the investigated phenomena are more complex and the data, less exact.
2. Some areas in musical research still remain speculative or non-experimental.
3. Experimental research in music has become more and more reductionistic in its
models.
4. Data on musical experience are based on introspection and memory of the
experiment at some point or points during the investigation, statistical methods do
not provide the solution always in a musical investigation.
5. Objectivity in research in music, social and humanistic disciplines is of a different
kind and is based on psychological, psychophysical or psycophysiological aspects of
the experience and depend on human interest and evaluation.
6. Roots of musical research often ramify into sociocultural soil and are conditioned by
it.
7. Because human behaviour is neither uniform nor invariable, causal relations are
more complex in musical research; that is, uniformity lies more in the physical
stimuli than in response.
8. Unity in the natural sciences lies on the generality of method and not on the
materials. Agreement of results based on demonstration is less easy in research in
music and social sciences, especially in those relating to affective, aesthetic and
creative aspects of the musical experience.
9. Reproducibility and predictability are far more difficult and more complex in areas
of statistical behaviour. Behaviour of a group of human beings is far more difficult to
analyse, reproduce or predict than of a group of atoms, molecules or stars.
10. Observers view point is more difficult to minimise in musical research, social
sciences and the humanities and is more important, valuable and indispensable. The
physical and natural scientist adopts a position which is external to the observed
phenomenon and is of neutrality. A musical research scholar, cannot escape from his
interests, values, methods and objectives which are implicit or inhered in his
sociocultural conditioning.
11. Control over variables is still inexact in research in music, social sciences and
humanities.

Phases in A research Investigation

1. The very first stage of research is concern over a practical, real problem and a close awareness of it.
2. Then the problem should be precisely and narrowly formulated.
3. Ideas should be next developed about it and sources of information on it should be collected.
4. A close familiarity with the past work on the problem is essential.
5. Nature of the study required, objectives of the study and techniques of study should be explicitly
articulated.
6. The strategy of data collection should be decided: In the experimental aspect, if any, the design and
field study should be worked out. On the non experimental side, depending on the nature of the
methodology, the type of observation such as natural, statistical, interview-based, by questionnaire,
subjective response collection, case studies data. The strategy of data collection depends on the type
of musical research such as psychomusicological, aesthetic, philosophic, semantic, creativity, style.
7. Defining of terms and scope of the research project.
8. Pretesting of design and strategy
9. Development of a model
10. Analysis and interpretation of data.
11. Application of validation tests to the model.
12. Interrelating of various aspects.
13. Chapterisation of thesis
14. Documentation and Bibliography.
15. Exposure to expert review and revision, if necessary.