In Search of the ‘Oriental Origin’: Rameau, Rousseau and Chinese Music in Eighteenth-Century France

Abstract This article offers a fresh perspective on the study of eighteenth-century musical dialogue between China and France, not as an episode exotic encounter but intellectual movement that profoundly shaped how scholars conceived music its theories within increasingly integrated world. Taking Jean-Philippe Rameau's Jean-Jacques Rousseau's explorations into origins example, I foreground importance Chinese in formation their influential concepts corps sonore unity language respectively. While these two thinkers made opposing claims about music, both used key evidence to support arguments. Moreover, certain Jesuit missionaries, particularly Jean-Joseph-Marie Amiot, played crucial role global transmission knowledge enabled French like Rameau Rousseau incorporate beyond Western Europe. Ultimately, this reverses Eurocentric narrative tends trace influence ‘Western music’ other parts world by showing exerted major impact debates France. Situating context, demonstrate what we commonly recognize theory’ was from East.