ABSTRACT
What could be called Avison’s ‘moral philosophy’ is expressed in his writings, his practice of music in Newcastle, the ‘collective’ contribution to his Essay on Musical Expression and his interest in concertos and accompanied sonatas rather than in works for solo instrument. His coherent outlook was embedded in the Lockean and Latitudinarian framework of tolerance, moderation and benevolence which was characteristic of the period in England, and there was no discrepancy between what he advocated on paper and the way he led his own life and went about his own activities. Avison’s ethics and aesthetics were closely interrelated.
