Which Philosopher Examined Catharsis as a Main Function of Art?

Aristotle, Art, and Greek Tragedy

Throughout the ages philosophers accept wrestled with the notion of art at every possible level. From Plato to Marx, Aristotle to Hume, Kant to Danto, history's great minds have theorized about the nature of art, testing the depths of human being agreement. With fine art one can easily observe give-and-take delving into ontology, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, folklore, psychology, and even politics without fifty-fifty scratching the tip of the iceberg. Yet even with the enormous breadth of conceptions of art on which to meditate philosophers and theorists have concocted numerous opposing view points which accept helped to shape and focus each other throughout the centuries. This paper will focus on the detail theories of i of the first dandy thinkers to tackle the enigmatic nature of art; Aristotle. While Aristotle did not have the vast wealth of art theory to respond to that later philosophers would have, he did immediately follow the first and one of most emphatic philosophers to comment on the nature of art; Plato. As was often the instance with ancient philosophers, both Plato and Aristotle were forced to found a theory of fine art based heavily on their metaphysical views nigh the nature of the globe. It volition be shown subsequently, in contrast to Aristotle, that many thinkers, such every bit Kant, Hume and Freud developed theories of fine art grounded in their aesthetic, sociopolitical, and psychological theories. Finally, in club to exemplify the conceptions of art examined in the first part of the paper, 2 pieces of art from a genre which Aristotle was nigh passionate about will be examined critically in order to run into how specific artwork can fit into the complex framework of philosophical theory. In keeping with the ancient Greek traditions of art Sophocles' ii tragedies, Oedipus the King and Antigone, will be investigated.

In club to empathize Aristotle'south perspective on art information technology is important to first accept a moderate agreement of Aristotle's metaphysics. Nevertheless, since Aristotle's metaphysics tin all-time exist understood as a response to the theories of his teacher we must first take a look at Plato's theories of the nature of the universe. Plato believed that all things that exist in reality are mere representations of perfect metaphysical constructs which he chosen the Forms. This doctrine which permeates through all of Plato's philosophy reveals several of import problems with the nature of fine art which shall be examined in response to Aristotle's theories. Aristotle, in opposition to Plato adult a metaphysics which was grounded much more than in the real world. For Aristotle the notion of form was really a role of all matter and the stardom betwixt the form and the actual substance that made up an object was merely an intellectual i. This bears a relation to art considering for both Plato and Aristotle art is an imitation of the actual globe (Palmer, pp 447-452). The ii thinkers however, interpret the nature of this imitation in opposing manners. While Plato condemns art because it is in effect a copy of a copy - since reality is imitation of the Forms and art is then imitation of reality - Aristotle defends art by saying that in the appreciation of art the viewer receives a certain "cognitive value" from the experience (Stumpf, p 99). This is to say that through the perception of art ane gains a certain understanding about the nature of reality. This brings us to the question of the epistemological concerns relating to art.

For Plato, since art is an faux of an imitation it is in consequence 3 times removed from the truth. As a outcome, Plato interprets this to hateful that art cannot give the viewer any real cognition virtually the world (Palmer, p 438). Aristotle'southward objection to this can be most easily seen in his favor for poetry and drama. While Plato would argue that we tin can obtain no truth from the report of art, Aristotle would say that art really theorizes a not bad bargain most what is possible in human society. His famous example compares poetry to the study of history. Aristotle argues that history is simply concerned with specific instances while poesy deals with "basic human, and therefore universal, experience." Aristotle reasons that "poetry … is a more than philosophical and higher thing than history: for poetry tends to express the universal, history the particular" (Stumpf, p 99).

Plato's concluding objection to art which Aristotle responds to is a claim of a moral nature. Plato argued that art appeals to the passions which can exist wild and unsafe. Aristotle, dissimilar Plato, believed that while art does appeal to the more than unruly side of humanity, the encouragement of these animalistic characteristics is beneficial to society considering through experiencing art, peculiarly tragedy, the people would experience a catharsis, or a purgation, which would rid them of their unsafe emotions (Palmer, p 450). This result of purgation is the outset instance where parallels can exist drawn between Aristotelian theories of art and a more modernistic realm; that of psychoanalysis. Surprisingly, Sigmund Freud would agree with Plato'due south moral objection to art. According to Freud, fine art is used past both artists and art viewers alike as a form of escapism. Like Plato, Freud would argue that indulgence in art is akin to removing oneself from reality. He would advise that art "has the result, and therefore probably the purpose, of forcing the patient out of real life, of alienating him from actuality" (Palmer, p 446).

Another attribute of art that Aristotle commented on was its sociopolitical connotations. It is in this area that we can find connections betwixt the theories of Aristotle and Karl Marx. Aristotle believed that lodge could be cleaved upwards into 2 groups. Members of the first grouping were "free and educated," while the second group was "made up of mechanics and general laborers and other such people." He described the latter grouping as existence vulgar and "perverted from their natural state." In this way art provided an efficient way of "pacifying the masses" (Palmer, p 451). There are clear similarities in Aristotle's theories with those of Marx'southward socioeconomic view near the nature of art. On a Marxist interpretation art is just some other way in which the wealthy upper class can oppress the proletariat through pacification (Palmer, p 458).

The last concept of art that should be investigated, before moving on to Aristotle's interest in tragedy, is his ideas of beauty and taste. Though it is difficult to find concise references to beauty in the Aristotelian texts he does seem to back up the notion of an objective beauty. That is to say that there are sure universal characteristics which a work of art must have in order to be beautiful. From his periodic reference to mathematics in relation to beautiful objects information technology is often extrapolated that Aristotle believed at that place to be a certain order to beauty. In the Metaphysics he says that "the principal forms of beauty are order and symmetry and definiteness." (Copleston, p 359). Empiricist David Hume had a very different idea of what could allocate as cute or as adept art. According to Hume the benchmark for good art was completely subjective. On his theory there are certain educated members of lodge who "he felt, eventually [would] reach consensus, and in doing so, [would] set a 'standard of gustation' which [would be] universal" (Freeland, p nine). Immanuel Kant, on the other manus, had a conception of beauty which, though it did not completely coincide with Aristotle's criterion, was at least in a similar spirit. At this signal a handling of Kant's metaphysics would be helpful, but for the sake of brevity a complete ane volition not be given. Kant believed that reality consisted of 2 worlds: the neuminal world and the phenomenal earth. Recall of the neuminal earth as a world containing only essences of individuals. In the neuminal world there is no space, no time, no substance, none of the normal paradigms which we associate with reality. The phenomenal world and then is the style that we translate the neuminal world through a set of Categories which nosotros have built into our psyches. These Categories allow i to conceive of time, space, and sure plenty, beauty (Silverstein). For Kant and then, beauty is non something which is completely objective since our perception of dazzler is part of our mind. It does, however, accept a certain level of universality to information technology which gives it a much more objective status than that of Hume's taste-arbiters.

Now that the reader has a fair idea of Aristotle's conceptions of fine art and some of the supporting and opposing viewpoints of his fellow philosophers information technology is time to consider the particular genre of art known as tragedy, which Aristotle was so addicted of. He defined tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious … with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions" (Copleston, p 363). Find the use of the discussion "false" in the definition. Call back that Aristotle thought that past imitation of action ane could get insight into the nature of the universe. Also, recall that for Aristotle one of the main objectives of art was to induce a purgation which would rid the citizens of their less pleasurable emotions. For Aristotle, a successful tragedy would be 1 in which the primary grapheme was neither also virtuous nor too villainous. The plot should start out well for the primary graphic symbol and then through no more fault of his own, other than a possible fault in judgment, he should come to a demise which instills feelings of pity, sadness, and anger in the gallery thereby inducing catharsis.

Aristotle's favorite tragedy was Oedipus the King by Sophocles. The play begins with the Laius and Jocasta, the male monarch and queen of Thebes. Upon the birth of their son, Oedipus, an oracle proclaims that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Petrified the rex and queen abandon their son to die in the wilderness, only he is picked upwards and cared for by a shepherd. The shepherd takes Oedipus to the town of Corinth where he is adopted by the rex and queen. One day when Oedipus is grown he learns that he has been adopted and goes to an oracle in search of answers. Instead the oracle tells him the prophecy that he volition kill his father and marry his mother. Non assertive that he was truly adopted Oedipus leaves Corinth so as to avert killing who he thinks is his begetter and marrying who he thinks is his mother. At an intersection in the road he gets into a scuffle with a grouping from Thebes and ends up killing King Laius who was traveling in disguise. Not knowing what he has done he continues on to Thebes and eventually ends up marrying Queen Jocasta and becoming the king. He rules well and he and Jocasta stop up having four children together. Then one day a soothsayer reveals to them the truth of their situation and Jocasta commits suicide. Meanwhile Oedipus gouges out his eyes and banishes himself from Thebes, destined to get a wandering beggar.

For Aristotle, Oedipus the King is the perfect tragedy. It has a worthy chief graphic symbol and a complicated plot. Through a sequence of coincidences and unforeseeable events Oedipus is reduced to a sad cease because he committed a horrible deed without knowing it. The ability for such an unavoidable fault to cause such catastrophe is meant to illustrate the frailty of the homo life. Since the drama "shows how a practiced person confronts adversity, information technology elicits a cleansing … through emotions of fear and pity" (Freeland, p 32). Eventually, after many years of wandering the land as a blind beggar, Oedipus attains sort of a saintly stature in the optics of his fellow Greeks. On Aristotle's more general conception of art Oedipus has worth as an imitation of what could conceivably happen to anyone in the Greek society.

The third tragedy in the Sophocles' Oedipus trilogy is called Antigone. The setting is a few decades after the tragic downfall of Oedipus in the midst of the Thebean civil war. The two sons of Oedipus, Polyneices and Eteocles, have been killed in battle and Creon assumes the thrown of Thebes. In society to insult his opponents Creon orders that Eteocles be buried honorably only that Polyneices exist left on the battleground to rot. Oedipus' 2 daughters, Antigone and Ismene, plot to disobey Creon and bury their brother Polyneices. Under the threat of death Ismene decides non to assist her sister in the job. After burying her blood brother Antigone is captured and brought before Creon to face judgment. Though Antigone proclaims her sister innocent Creon imprisons the pair of them. Haemon, Antigone'south fiancé and Creon'southward son comes to show his back up to his father while at the same fourth dimension beg him to spare his bride. Creon refuses and Haemon vows never to see him again. Though he does decide to spare Ismene, Creon orders that Antigone be locked up in a cave forever. Along comes the blind soothsayer Teiresias who warns Creon that the gods wish him to release Antigone and bury Polyneices body or else they will accept away one of his children and all of Hellenic republic will plough confronting him and Thebes. Frightened Creon agrees to release her, but alas it is also belatedly. A messenger arrives and tells him that Haemon and Antigone have both committed suicide and presently afterward Creon's wife also takes her ain life. Broken by cocky-arraign the drama ends with Creon slinking back into his dwelling house and the chorus offering an assertion that the gods punish the proud but the lessons learned will make the punished wise.

Antigone was another of Aristotle's favorite tragedies. Sophocles was the third tragic playwright who revolutionized drama in Hellenic republic with his addition of more principal characters and a lesser presence of the chorus. Before Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles there would have only been ane grapheme in the play and a large chorus. The chorus would be then active in the story that plays were more similar narratives than actual dramas. The audition might accept been surprised at the end to find out that the main tragic grapheme in Antigone was non Antigone herself, but rather it was Creon. This drama illustrates the second way in which a tragic character can achieve his downfall. In the case of the kickoff play in the trilogy Oedipus suffered from a hamartia; a tragic mistake rather than an evil intent (Freeland, p 34). In Creon's case his tragic flaw is an example of hubris; an overbearing pride or arrogance. In the end the audience certainly feels pity for Creon and experiences catharsis, since it was really more of a blindness than a malicious intent that caused him to make the decisions that resulted in the loss of his entire family. As art this tragedy certainly fulfills its duties in Aristotle's eyes.

As has been illustrated Aristotle had a very concise idea of the nature and the purpose of art, specially as it relates to tragedy and drama. While many of the philosophers who came before and after Aristotle had opposing philosophies of art one cannot deny that his theories fabricated very good sense in his historical context and many of them yet have some merit today. If one steps back and attempts to look at philosophy of art as a whole over the centuries one cannot deny that the practical merit that his theories independent and cannot aid but exist impressed at how early they came in the history of philosophy of fine art.

____________________________

by Christian Ketelsen

Major: Mathematics and Philosophy Expected
Graduation Date August, 2003
Hometown Boxing Ground, WA

Before condign a math major I spent 2 semesters as a double major in Philosophy and English. During this time I wrote a large number of argumentative essays and literary critiques. Since condign a Math major I have had to learn to write technical papers.

leonardvocassithand.blogspot.com

Source: https://public.wsu.edu/~kimander/aristotleart.htm

Share this post