Plato and Aristotle

Plato and Aristotle by Raphael Sanzio

Plato: Mimesis
Theory of Ideas/ Forms: World of Ideas : Ideals/ Universals Physical World World of Images, Copies created by the artist

 all poetical imitations are ruinous to the understanding of the hearers, and that the knowledge of their true nature is the only antidote to them. (The Republic, Book 6)

The artist is a creator of appearances, if he does not make that which exists he cannot make true existence, but only some resemblance of existence; the artist can deceive the simple-minded.

Plato: Morality
The poet is guilty of telling a bad lie; he creates in a frenzy and inspires base passions. Censorship: the first thing will be to establish a censorship of the writers of fictionand we will desire mothers and nurses to tell their children the authorised ones only. Criterion for qualifying: Poets should imitate only those characters which are suitable and should not depict any illiberality or baseness; no slaves, women in sickness, love, labour, quarrelling with husband, etc.

Imitation
The truth Against it for three reasons: A) does not teach (pragmatics) B) two generations removed from reality C) dangerous because: 1) it makes the mind lose the ability to judge and measure 2) does not show all that is needed to be shown

Conclusion
Poets have to prove their utility to the community. The difference between representation and truth Acknowledged the art of poetry

Aristotle
Focuses on the art itself rather than on pragmatics Takes it as an art of imitation and representation Connects between art and life because: 1) representation is natural to human beings from childhood 2) everyone delights in representations Studies its history and development

Imitation

Imitation

Medium: color, form, voice, music, ryhthm

Object: moral & human nature

Mode: narration, speaking, performance

Poetry

Aristotle defines poetry as the mimetic, or imitative, use of language, rhythm, and harmony, separately or in combination. Poetry is mimetic in that it creates a representation of human actions and events in the world, unlike philosophy, for example, which presents ideas. Humans are naturally drawn to imitation, and so poetry has a strong influence on us. Poetry can also be an excellent learning device, since we can observe imitations of things like dead bodies and disgusting animals when the real thing would disturb us.

Poetry II
Aristotle's concept of mimesis helps him to explain what is distinctive about our experience of art. Poetry is mimetic, meaning that it invites us to imagine its subject matter as real while acknowledging that it is in fact fictional. When we see an actor playing Oedipus, this actor is clearly a substitute through which we can imagine what a real Oedipus might be like. When we read Aristotle's ideas on art, we are in direct contact with the ideas, and there is nothing more real to imagine.

Poetry III
Art presents reality at one level of remove, allowing us a certain detachment. We do not call the police when we see Hamlet kill Polonius because we know that we are not seeing a real event but only two actors imitating realworld possibilities. Because we are conscious of the mimesis involved in art, we are detached enough that we can reflect on what we are experiencing and so learn from it. Witnessing a murder in real life is emotionally scarring. Witnessing a murder on stage gives us a chance to reflect on the nature and causes of human violence so that we can lead a more reflective and sensitive life.

Types of plays
Tragedy Comedy They differ in: 1) they use different media 2) different objects 3) different manner

What is tragedy?
Tragedy is a representation of a serious, complete action which has magnitude, in embellished speech, with each of its elements {used} separately in the {various} parts {of a play}; {represented} by people acting and not by narration; accomplishing by means of pity and terror the catharsis of such emotions

Tragedy I
It is mimetic, It is serious It tells a full story of an appropriate length It contains rhythm and harmony Rhythm and harmony occur in different combinations in different parts of the tragedy It is performed rather than narrated It arouses feelings of pity and fear and then purges these feelings through catharsis.

Tragedy II
Aristotle identifies tragedy as the most refined version of poetry dealing with lofty and serious matters and comedy dealing with base and trivial matters. He traces a brief and speculative history of tragedy as it evolved from dithyrambic hymns in praise of the god Dionysus. Dithyrambs were sung by a large choir, sometimes featuring a narrator.

Parts of a play
Six parts that make up a play 1) Plot 2) Characters 3) Reasoning (Thought) 4) Diction 5) Spectacle 6) Song

Plot
Plot is action or arrangements of incidents Depends on what is being represented (tragedy, comedy, satire). Plots are either simple or complex Representation of an action and life Unity of action single action According to the law of probability and necessity

Types of plots
Complex: 1) Results in transformation 2) Recognition 3) change is a result of recognition according to the law of P and N Simple: 1) Action is continuous in its course 2) action is simple 3) no reversal or recognition

Complex plots
A tragedy should show good men moving from good to bad A villain should not be passing to good fortune It should be shocking no pity or terror Misfortune because of a great error

Concepts in Plot
Completeness Seriousness Magnitude Unity Universality

Characters
Represent men in action Expressive speeches Is not all good or bad Is of the noble class or highly renowned and prosperous Has a tragic flaw Recognizes his error and accepts the consequences Arouses the audiences pity and fear

More on character
Good: The hero would have to demonstrate through his speech and actions that he is morally sound. Appropriate: He would also have to maintain society's ideas on social behaviors (men should be manly and so forth).

Thought
Effect of speech Proof and refutation Exciting feelings of pity and fear The suggestion of importance or insignificance Incidents speak for themselves, but the speaker has to produce the desired effects.

Diction
What is a command, a prayer, a statement, a threat, a question, an answer and so forth.

Spectacle
Ornament: the stage and other necessary objects required for performance.

Song
Songs is another ornament. Song has a primary function of summarizing the plot to remind the audiences of the plot Gives a break to the characters

Aristotles Critical Responses

Aristotle was Plato's most famous student and greatest critic. Disagreeing with much else that Plato said, Aristotle agreed that art was essentially an Mimesis. But, he maintained, (good) art was neither useless nor dangerous, but rather natural and beneficial.

Aristotles Critical Responses

Crucial to Aristotle's defense of art is his Rejection of Plato's Dualism. In contrast to Plato, however, for Aristotle Forms are never separate from their material instantiation: Everything we encounter is made of matter yet also formed in some way or other There is no form without content (i.e., matter) and no matter without form

Aristotles Critical Responses

Crucial to Aristotle's defense of art is his Rejection of Plato's Dualism. Man is not an "embodied" intellect, longing for the spiritual release of death, but rather a creature with, among all the other faculties, the ability to use reason and to create.

Aristotles Critical Responses

Rejection of Platos Rationalism (w.r.t. Human Nature) We must study humans as we would study other animals to discover what is their "nature." Look among the species; see who are the thriving and successful and in what activities do they engage? For Aristotle, this is how to determine what is and is not appropriate for a human and human societies. Rejections that Mimesis = Mirroring Nature

Aristotles Critical Responses: Art is Not Useless

It is Natural: It is natural for human beings to imitate. Any human society which is healthy will be a society where there is imitative art. Nothing is more natural than for children to pretend.

Aristotles Critical Responses: Art is Not Useless

Art production and training is a necessary part of any education since it uses and encourages the imaginative manipulation of ideas.
Nothing is more natural than for human beings to create using their imagination. Since art is imitation, it is an imaginative use of concepts; at its heart art is "conceptual," "intellectual."

Aristotles Critical Responses: Good Art is Not Dangerous

A. Art is not deceptive:
Artists must accurately portray reality to be successful.
(Drama must accurately portray psychological reality in order for characters to be believable and their actions understandable.)

It teaches effectively and it teaches the truth.

(Convincing and powerful drama is convincing and powerful because it reveals some truth of human nature.)

Aristotles Critical Responses: Good Art is Not Dangerous

Introduces the concept of "Organic Unity" the idea that in any good work of art each of the parts must contribute to the overall success of the whole.

Just as in biological organisms each part contributes to the overall health and well-being of the creature, so too in goodworks of art, each element must contribute to the thematic development. This is another way in which works of art reflects or imitates reality.)

Aristotles Critical Responses: Good Art is Not Dangerous

B.) Sensuous art is not a bad thing:
Aristotle did not believe that the mind was one thing and the body was something else and therefore Aristotle did not have the bias against physical pleasures that Plato did. The only way of acquiring knowledge at all, according to Aristotle, was through the senses and so developing, exercising and sharpening those senses through art was a healthy thing to do. Art was not solely concerned with the sensual pleasures, but rather was/should be an intellectual, conceptual affair.

Aristotles Critical Responses: Good Art is Not Dangerous

Aristotle agreed that art did stir up negative emotions but, he claims it then purged these in an harmless, healthy way. According to the doctrine of Catharsis Art was neither psychologically de-stabilizing nor politically destructive. Art is a therapeutic part of the healthy life of not only the individually, but of the nation.

Aristotles Critical Responses: Mimesis Imitation

Mimesis Imitation (Mirroring) More like:
Rendering Depicting Construing Idealizing Representing

NB: Unlike mirroring, these are acts of intellect.

Aristotles Critical Responses

Poetry is more Philosophical than History
"poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history (He means a mere chronicle of events here.), since its statements are of the nature rather of universals, whereas those of history are singulars." Poetry describes "not the thing that has happened" as Aristotle imagines history does "but a kind of thing that might happen, (i.e. what is possible) as being probable or necessary" Thus a mere mirror is history NOT art. Art is necessarily conceptual/cognitive.

Aristotles Critical Responses

A further point here:
Art displays and transmits this knowledge in an unique way. The audience must understand the universals at work in the drama to be carried away by the drama, and in that sense they must internalize, adopt it as his or her own, the knowledge of human nature and morality utilized by the playwright.

Platos and Aristotles View: Art is Essentially Mimesis

Art was potentially dangerous for several reasons: A.) Art was essentially deceptive. (Ep.) B.) Art was mainly concerned with sensual pleasure. (M, Ep., Eth.) C.) Further, Art was psychologically de-stabilizing. (for the individual) (Eth., Ps.) D.) Art leads to immorality. (Eth.) E.) Art was politically dangerous. (threat to the common good) (Po. Ps.) Art was not potentially dangerous for several reasons: A.) (Good) Art was essentially truthful. (Ep.) B.) Art was mainly concerned with sensual pleasure, and thats a Good thing. (M, Ep., Eth.) C.) Art was psychologically healthy (for the individual) (Eth., Ps.) D.) Art leads to moral knowledge. (Eth.) E.) Art was politically necessary and healthy. (Po. Ps.)