On 16 March 2026, members of the EPIC team were joined by researchers, musicians, and members of the public for an evening of philosophical contemplation, music, and meaningful silence. The event, held at St George’s, Bristol, invited guests to consider what role silence plays in music, philosophy, and everyday life. Opening the event, music therapist and NIHR doctoral student (Hull York Medical School), Kate Binnie, led guests in a moment of collective silence, prompting reflections on how silence can create space for self-knowledge as well as support deeper social connections.
Echoing these ideas, in particular the therapeutic, and sometimes necessary, role of silence both individually and interpersonally, philosopher and EPIC research fellow, Dr Dan Degerman, provided an opportunity to consider the implications of ‘breaking’ silences, particularly in the context of mental health. Degerman emphasised that, while in many cases creating opportunities for discussion around experiences of mental illness can help reduce stigma, these discourses also risk framing silence as inherently harmful or negative.
To remedy this, Degerman proposed ways of disambiguating different types of silence, introducing two key concepts, namely, literal and metaphorical silence. Literal silence being the absence of sound when nothing is said, and metaphorical silence referring to the absence of speech when something could, or indeed ought, to be said. Degerman explained that both kinds perform an important function in everyday interactions with others, yet only some are taken to be meaningful or welcomed silences, whereas others can create discomfort. That is, whereas some shared silences can facilitate a sense of closeness, mutual understanding, and intimacy, others create ambiguity that can be experienced negatively.
Taking up the invitation to reflect on the communicative and deeply embodied role of silence, Bristol Schola Cantorum performed a piece illustrating in practice how silence and music – like two sides of the same coin – shape the way we experience sound and its absence. Joining in the discussion, University of Bristol music scholars, Professors Emma Hornby and John Pickard offered their perspectives on the role of silence in musical performance and composition, prompting reflection on the breath and the careful placement of silence in orchestral performances.
Drawing these perspectives together, speakers and panellists, including philosopher of language, Dr Anthony Everett, and EPIC Principal Investigator, Professor Havi Carel, engaged in a thought-provoking panel discussion spanning tensions in conceptualisations of silence in the West and East, and its utility – or perceived lack of – in Western analytic philosophy, to its role in palliative care. Each of these perspectives provided avenues for reflecting on the role of silence in different contexts, including healthcare, highlighting tensions between the silence that occurs when no further speech is needed and the silence that emerges as a result of communicative failures between practitioners and patients.
In my experience, the invitation to reflect on silence prompted thoughts about voluntary and non-voluntary silences, particularly in the context of my own research on the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures used to control it. While for some, the silence that followed periods of national lockdowns and widespread closures of busy, otherwise noise-filled environments was experienced as a welcome break, for others, the (relative) absence of noise, and perhaps in particular the absence of other people, was deeply distressing. That is, while silence can bring a sense of peaceful solitude in some cases, in others it can amplify feelings of social isolation and loneliness.
Hence, not only did the event provide a space to reflect on the role of silence in music and philosophy, but it also provided opportunities to reflect on silence more generally. The significance of this is especially pertinent in times of widespread upheaval and crisis, like pandemics, but also other kinds of crisis, such as war and conflict, where silence as an absence of sound could be reconceptualised as a privilege not all have access to. Overall, while silence exists in many forms, its role in society, and its seemingly neutral or passive nature, can mean it is taken for granted, and yet its significance extends beyond its communicative function – it is in many ways a way of being and relating to others and the environment of which we are a part.
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