What Is Art According To Plato?
Art, in Plato's philosophy, was viewed in a very specific way because of his belief that it reflected timeless, perfect forms in the physical realm of the senses. Art, according to Plato, is nothing more than a representation of the real world.
According to him, the pinnacle of artistic achievement is the creation of works that faithfully portray the Forms, or ideal essences, of the things they depict. To rephrase Plato, the point of art is not to represent the outward form of things but rather to depict their inner actuality or truth.
Plato's Philosophy of Forms
Plato's philosophy holds that the material world is not the true reality. Instead, he believed that there is a higher realm of eternal, unchanging forms or ideas that are the actual reality. These models are the blueprints from which our flawed material forms are derived.
For example, the form of a chair is the perfect, ideal version of a chair and all the chairs that we see in the physical world are imperfect copies of that form. Similarly, the form of beauty is the perfect, ideal version of beauty and all the beautiful things that we see in the physical world are imperfect copies of that form.
Plato's View of Art
Several of Plato's dialogues, most notably the Republic, reveal a sophisticated and intricate understanding of art from the side of the philosopher.
In general, Plato considered art to be a representation of the world that may be accurate or misleading, depending on how faithfully it reflected the ideal essences, or Forms, of the things it showed. To him, the pinnacle of artistic achievement was the creation of an image that was faithful to the Forms and, in doing so, had the ability to communicate the truth.
However, Plato was aware of the ways in which art may deceive or hurt its viewers. He thought art might sway people's opinions and inspire them to take action, and he worried that uninformed creativity could mislead the public.
In the Republic, Plato argues that it is the state's responsibility to exert oversight over the arts to make sure they are used to propagate virtue rather than vice. He recommended limiting the forms of art that might be created to spread bad messages.
Plato's belief in the presence of eternal and unchanging Forms informed his perspective of art, and his notion that art could reflect and express these Forms to mankind impacted his view of art even further.
In his view, art was both a potentially dangerous source of danger and a beneficial tool for understanding and accessing the truth.
The Imitative Nature of Art
Plato believed that art represented a form of imitation and a lower form of knowledge than the pursuit of truth and wisdom. In his dialogue "The Republic," Plato argued that poets and artists were not genuinely knowledgeable about the subjects they depicted in their work.
Instead, they merely imitated the appearances of things rather than understanding the underlying truth about them. Plato argued that this imitative nature of art made it potentially dangerous, as it could mislead people about the true nature of reality.
He believed that art had the power to influence people's beliefs, and actions and that it was essential to carefully consider the effects of art on society.
The Role of Education in Art
Plato considered art a vital tool for education, and he believed that education was necessary for the formation of a just and virtuous society. He urged in the Republic that the arts be required coursework for the ruling elite.
Plato thought that the arts had the capacity to motivate people to live good, meaningful lives and that they could be utilized to teach people virtue and wisdom.
However, Plato also understood that unchecked artistic expression may do harm. His main point was that all art should be subject to censorship to ensure it doesn't spread harmful ideas and that only certain sorts of art should be permitted.
The Relationship Between Art and Politics
Plato believed that the role of art in society was closely tied to the political system. In his book, he argued that the type of art allowed in a society should be determined by the ruling class, as they were responsible for maintaining the moral order of the state.
Plato believed that the ruling class should be composed of wise and just individuals, and they should use their power to promote the common good. He argued that the arts should serve this goal and be used to educate and inspire citizens to be virtuous.
Plato's Criticism of Art
Plato argued that artists are essentially imitators and that their work is not original or creative. Plato's most famous critique of art can be found in his dialogue "The Republic," in which he discusses the role of poetry and storytelling in society.
He argues that poets and storytellers should not be allowed to write whatever they want but should be held to strict standards of truth and accuracy.
He also suggests that certain types of poetry and storytelling should be banned because they may negatively influence people's morals and beliefs.
Plato's Mimesis Art
Plato proposed an alternative form of art that he believed would be more beneficial to people. This alternative form of art was called "mimesis," which involved imitating the eternal forms in a way that was more educational and beneficial to people.
Plato believed that mimesis could be used to teach people about the eternal forms and help them understand the true nature of reality. He argued that this would be more beneficial than traditional art, which he saw as merely imitating the forms and not genuinely educational.
Mimesis, in Plato's view, was a gateway to the underlying truth and perfection of the Forms, and he felt that the arts, including literature, poetry, music, and theater, had the potential to symbolize and impart the Forms to others.
In Conclusion
Although Plato acknowledged art's usefulness in conveying the Forms and encouraging moral growth, he also had concerns about its ability to mislead or even do harm.
