Plato的观点.docx

Plato的观点.docx

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Plato的观点

Plato’sObjectiontoandAristotle’sDefenceofPoetry

Plato’sObjectiontoPoetry

AdmirersofPlatoareusuallyloversofliteraryart.ItissobecausePlatowrotedramaticdialoguesratherthandidacticvolumesanddidsowithrareliteraryskill.Youwouldexpectsuchaphilosophertoplaceahighvalueonliteraryart,butPlatoactuallyattackedit,alongwithotherformsofwhathecalledmimesis.AccordingtoPlato’stheoryofmimesis（imitation）theartsdealwithillusionandtheyareimitationofanimitation.Thus,theyaretwiceremovedfromreality.Asamoralist,Platodisapprovesofpoetrybecauseitisimmoral；asaphilosopherhedisapprovesofitbecauseitisbasedinfalsehood.Heisoftheviewthatphilosophyisbetterthanpoetrybecausephilosopherdealswithidea/truth,whereaspoetdealswithwhatappearstohim/illusion.Hebelievedthattruthofphilosophywasmoreimportantthanthepleasureofpoetry.HearguedthatmostofitshouldbebannedfromtheidealsocietythathedescribedintheRepublic.

WhatobjectionsdidPlatohavewithmimesisorpoetryorpoet?

Dothoseobjectionsapplytothesortofartwevaluetoday?

Aretheywell-founded?

Thesearethequestionsthatweshallbediscussinginthisperiodoftime.

Whatwerehisobjections?

Platoobjectedtopoetryonthreegrounds,viz.,Educational,Philosophicalandmoralviewpoint.

1.Plato’sobjectiontoPoetryfromthepointofviewofEducation:

a.In‘TheRepublic’BookII–Hecondemnspoetryasfosteringevilhabitsandvicesinchildren.Homer’sepicswerepartofstudies.Heroesofepicswerenotexamplesofsoundoridealmorality.Theywerelusty（贪婪好色）,cunning,andcruel–warmongers.EvenGodswerenobetter.

b.Platowrites:

“ifwemeanourfutureguardianstoregardthehabitofquarrelingamongthemselvesasofallthingsthebasest,nowordshouldbesaidtothemofthewarsintheheaven,oroftheplotsandfightingofthegodsagainstoneanother,fortheyarenottrue….Iftheywouldonlybelieveaswewouldtellthemthatquarrelingisunholy,andthatneveruptothistimehastherebeenanyquarrelingbetweencitizens……thesetales（ofepics）mustnotbeadmittedintoourState,whethertheyaresupposedtohaveallegoricalmeaningornot.”

c.Thusheobjectedonthegroundthatpoetrydoesnotcultivategoodhabitsamongchildren.

2.ObjectionfromPhilosophicalpointofview:

a.In‘TheRepublic’BookX:

Poetrydoesnotleadto,butdrivesusawayformtherealizationoftheultimatereality–theTruth.

b.PhilosophyisbetterthanpoetrybecausePhilosophydealswithideaandpoetryistwiceremovedfromoriginalidea.

c.Platosays:

“Theimitatorormakeroftheimageknowsnothingoftrueexistence;heknowsappearanceonly….Theimitativeartisaninferiorwhomarriesaninferiorandhasinferioroffspring.”

3.ObjectionfromtheMoralpointofview:

a.Inthesamebookin‘TheRepublic’:

Soulofmanhashigherprinciplesofreason（whichistheessenceofitsbeing）aswellaslowerconstitutionsofbaserimpulsesandemotions.Whateverencouragesandstrengthenstherationalprincipleisgood,andemotionalisbad.

b.Poetrywatersandnourishesthebaserimpulsesofmen-emotional,sentimentalandsorrowful.

Platosays:

“Thentheimitativepoetwhoaimsatbeingpopularisnotbynaturemade,norishisartintended,topleaseortoaffecttherationalprincipleinthesoul;buthewillpreferthepassionateandfitfultemper,whichiseasilyimitated….Andthereforeweshallberightinrefusingtoadmithimintoawell-orderedstate,becauseheawakensandnourishesandstrengthenthefeelingsandimpairsthereason…Poetryfeedsandwatersthepassioninsteadofdryingthemup;sheletsthemrule,althoughtheyoughttobecontrolled,ifmankindareevertoincreaseinhappinessandvirtue.”

WhyheobjectedtoPoetry?

ThesearePlato’sprincipalchargesonpoetryandobjectiontoit.Beforewepassonanyjudgement,weshouldnotforgettokeepinviewthetimeinwhichhelived.Duringhistime:

•Therewaspoliticalinstability

•Educationwasinsorrystate.Homerwaspartofstudies–andHomer’sepicsweremisrepresentedandmisinterpreted.

•Womenwereregardedinferiorhumanbeings–slaverywaswidespread.

•BesttimeofGreekliteraturewasover–corruptionanddegenerationinliterature.

•Confusionprevailedinallsphereoflife–intellect,moral,politicalandeducation.

Thus,inPlato’stimethepoetsaddedfueltothefire.Helookedatpoetsasbreedersoffalsehoodandpoetryasmotheroflies.Andsothechiefreasonsforhisobjectingpoetswere:

•itisnotethicalbecauseitpromotesundesirablepassions,

•itisnotphilosophicalbecauseitdoesnotprovidetrueknowledge,and

•itisnotpragmaticbecauseitisinferiortothepracticalartsandthereforehasnoeducationalvalue.

ThesewerethereasonsforPlato’sobjectionstopoetry.

WhatishisTheoryofMimesis?

Inhistheoryofmimesis,Platosaysthatallartismimeticbynature;artisanimitationoflife.Hebelievedthat‘idea’isultimatereality.Artimitatesideaandsoitisimitationofreality.Hegivesanexampleofacarpenterandachair.Theideaof‘chair’firstcameinthemindofcarpenter.Hegavephysicalshapetohisideaandcreatedachair.Thepainterimitatedthechairofthecarpenterinhispictureofchair.Thus,painter’schairistwiceremovedfromreality.Hence,hebelievedthatartistwiceremovedfromreality.Hegivesfirstimportancetophilosophyasphilosophydealswithidea.Whereaspoetrydealswithillusion–thingswhicharetwiceremovedfromreality.SotoPlato,philosophyisbetterthanpoetry.Thisviewofmimesisisprettydeflationary（令人泄气的）,foritimpliesthatmimeticart--drama,fiction,representationalpainting--doesnotitselfhaveanimportantroletoplayinincreasingourunderstandingofhumanbeingsandthehumanworld.Thisimplicationwouldnotberejectedbyeverylover--orindeedeverycreator--ofimaginativeliterature.IronicallyitwasPlato'smostfamousstudent,Aristotle,whowasthefirsttheoristtodefendliteratureandpoetryinhiswritingPoeticsagainstPlato’sobjectionandhistheoryofmimesis.

Aristotle:

Introduction

Platoconfusedthestudyof‘aesthetics’withthestudyof‘morals’.Aristotleremovedthatconfusionandcreatedthestudyof‘aesthetics’.

Platowasagreatpoet,amysticandaphilosopher.Aristotle–themostdistinguisheddiscipleofPlatowasacritic,scholar,logicianandpracticalphilosopher.Themasterwasaninspiredgeniuseverywaygreaterthanthediscipleexceptinlogic,analysisandcommonsense.Heisknownforhiscriticaltreatise:

（i）ThePoeticsand（ii）TheRhetoric,dealingwithartofpoetryandartofspeaking,respectively.

ForcenturiesduringRomanageinEuropeandafterrenaissance,Aristotlewashonouredasalaw-giverandlegislator.Eventodayhiscriticaltheoriesremainlargelyrelevant,andforthishecertainlydeservesouradmirationandesteem.Buthewasneveralaw-giverinliteratureandisnolongerheldassuchinourtimes.ThePoeticsisnotmerelycommentaryorjudgementonthepoeticart.ItsconclusionisfirmlyrootedintheGreekliteratureandisactuallyillustratedfromit.Hewasacodifier（法典编纂者）;hederivedanddiscussedtheprinciplesofliteratureasmanifestintheplaysandpoetryexistinginhisownday.Hismainconcernappearstobetragedy,whichinhisdaywasconsideredtobethemostdevelopedformofpoetry.Anotherpartofpoeticsdealswithcomedy,butitisunfortunatelylost.Inhisobservationsonthenatureandfunctionofpoetry,hehasrepliedthechargesofPlatoagainstpoetry,whereinhepartlyagreesandpartlydisagreeswithhisteacher.

HowdidAristotlereplytoPlato’sObjection?

AristotlerepliedtothechargesmadebyhisGuruPlatoagainstPoetryinparticularandartingeneral.Herepliedtothemonebyoneindefenseofpoetry.

1.Platosaysthatartbeingtheimitationoftheactualisremovedfromtruth.Itonlygivesthelikenessofathinginconcrete,andthelikenessisalwayslessthanreal.ButPlatofailstounderstandthatartalsogivesomethingmorewhichisabsentintheactual.Theartistdoesnotsimplyreflecttherealinthemannerofamirror.Artisnotslavishimitationofreality.Literatureisnotthephotographicreproductionoflifeinallitstotality（全体）.Itistherepresentationofselectedeventsandcharactersnecessaryinacoherentactionfortherealizationofartist’spurpose.Heevenexalts,idealizesandimaginativelyrecreatesaworldwhichhasitsownmeaningandbeauty.Theseelements,presentinart,areabsentintherawandroughreal.R.A.Scott-Jamesrightlyobserves:

“Butthoughhe（Poet）createssomethinglessthanthatreality,healsocreatessomethingmore.Heputsanideaintoit.Heputhisperceptionintoit.Hegivesushisintuitionofcertaindistinctiveandessentialqualities.”

This‘more’,thisintuitionandperceptionistheaimoftheartist.Artisticcreationcannotbefairlycriticizedonthegroundthatitisnotthecreationinconcretetermsofthingsandbeings.ThusconsidereditdoesnottakeusawayformtheTruth,butleadsustotheessentialrealityoflife.

2.Platoagainsaysthatartisbadbecauseitdoesnotinspirevirtue,doesnotteachmorality.Butisteachingthefunctionoftheart?

Isittheaimoftheartist?

Thefunctionofartistoprovideaestheticdelight,communicateexperience,expressemotionsandrepresentlife.Itshouldneverbeconfusedwiththefunctionofethicswhichissimplytoteachmorality.Ifanartistsucceedsinpleasingusinaestheticsense,heisagoodartist.Ifhefailsindoingso,heisabadartist.Thereisnoothercriteriontoju