Systematic Musicology and the History and Future of Western Musical Scholarship

Abstract. Systematic musicology is an um-brella term, used mainly in Central Europe, for subdisciplines of musicology that are primarily concerned with music in general, rather than specific manifestations of music. This article aims to explain the concept in English to international music scholars. Scientific sys-tematic musicology (or scientific musicology) is primarily empirical and data-oriented; it involves empirical psychology and sociology, acoustics, physiology, neurosciences, cogni-tive sciences, and computing and technology. Humanities systematic musicology (or cultural musicology) involves disciplines and para-digms such as philosophical aesthetics, theo