Criticism I The Classical Heritage

Plato Philosophy

Issues Art Politics Economics Ethics Pragmatics

Art Imitation Representation

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 Object: moral Mode: narration or Or speaking

Poetry I 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 objects 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 Aristotle contrasts poetry with philosophy, his point is not so much that poetry is mimetic because it portrays what is real while philosophy is nonmimetic because it portrays only ideas. Rather, the point is that the ideas discussed in philosophical texts are as real as any ideas ever are. 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 real- world 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 matters and comedy as the most refined version of poetry dealing with base 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 Magnitude Unity Structure Universality Defective Plots or ‘Episodic’

Characters Represent men in action Expressive speeches

Thought Saying what is possible and important Language of civic life

Diction Expression of the meaning of the words

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

Aristotle’s 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.

Aristotle’s 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 and animal with, among all the other faculties, the ability to use reason and to create.

Aristotle’s Critical Responses Rejection of Plato’s 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

Aristotle’s 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.

Aristotle’s 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."

Aristotle’s 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.)

Aristotle’s 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 –good- works of art, each element must contribute to the thematic development. This is another way in which works of art reflects or imitates reality.) Unified action, "with its several incidents so closely connected that the transposal or withdrawal of any one of them will disjoin and dislocate the whole,"

Aristotle’s 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.

Aristotle’s Critical Responses: Good Art is Not Dangerous D. (Good) Art is institutionally tied to Morality and Truth –(Successful Tragic) Drama always teaches morality. When trying to understand how tragedies achieve their peculiar effect (Pathos), he notes the psychology and morality on which they must be based. NB: Aristotle believed that drama imitated not only "events" but actions. As such they imitated intended behaviors, psychological forces and the unseen "inner life" of persons. Note too that he unwittingly set up two functions for a work of art to fulfill; to imitate nature perceptual detail and to imitate nature’s "organic unity" (music, architecture).

Aristotle’s 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. NB: Similar to arguments made today in defense of graphically sexual or violent art or even of pornography or of violence on television.

Aristotle’s Critical Responses: Mimesis ≠ Imitation Mimesis ≠ Imitation (Mirroring) More like: –Rendering –Depicting –Construing –Idealizing –Representing NB: Unlike mirroring, these are acts of intellect.

Aristotle’s 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.

Aristotle’s 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.

Plato’s and Aristotle’s 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 that’s 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.)