This is an argument from incredulity. Not
knowing how
something is explained does not mean it cannot be explained.
There is evidence that music is related to language. An out-of-place
chord triggers a part of the brain that recognizes correct syntax
(Clarke 2001; Maess et al. 2001). Thus an appreciation of music could
have arisen, at least in part, as a side-effect of the evolution of
language.
Another hypothesis is that music arose in parallel with sociality, as a
means of linking people through such communal activities as dance and
rhythm (Benzon 2001).
Maess, B., S. Koelsch, T. C. Gunter and A. D. Friederici, 2001.
Musical syntax is processed in Broca's area: an MEG study. Nature
Neuroscience 4: 540-545.
Further Reading:
Benzon, William L., 2001. Beethoven's Anvil: Music in mind and
culture. New York: Basic Books.
