Platos The Republic - Essay Example

Anuja Chandramouli Aesthetics 10 May 2006 AESTHETICS INTRODUCTION Plato's The Republic is a work of philosophy which takes place in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon. And through this Plato seeks to reiterate his views on justice, virtue and the organization of a society which is perfect in every way. In book 10, he propounds what may be the first aesthetic theory pertaining to art and its relationship to truth. There is no dissembling in this particular piece and Plato takes a firm stand and backs it with powerful arguments and sheer rhetorical bombast. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND TRUTH Socrates is the principle speaker in The Republic and having established (in theory) his ideal state, he rounds on the 'imitators', seeking to banish them from the state. At the very onset, Socrates expounds on the evils of imitative art, which is "thrice removed from the truth". He sets out to prove his point by saying that anything with a common name is believed to correspond with the same ides. He elaborates using an example - there are plenty of beds and tables but the idea behind the use of the same belongs to one only. It is the same person who makes "not only vessels of every kind, but plants and animals, himself and all other things" he is the maker. It may be possible for anyone to do the same by holding up a mirror, but that would merely be appearances. Thus in the same way a painter is a mere "creator of appearances". Getting back to the example there are three artisans who make it - one is God, who is and always will be the primary source for every conceivable idea, the carpenter who makes the bed for practical use and finally the painter who merely imitates. Therefore he serves no discernible purpose. Socrates says the imitator is always far from the truth. He has but a smattering of knowledge which he parades as the truth and simple folks, who know no better, accept it at face value. Poets are usually thought of as veritable founts of knowledge. Homer, the legendary poet for instance is believed to be knowledgeable man, able administrator and an astute observer of human nature. But if that been the case surely he would have been at the forefront of the events in his day instead of relegating himself to the background Thus one must beware of poetry because it amounts to nothing when stripped of its colors and insidious charm. Thus in a realm where truth has been elevated to the highest possible peak, there is no place for art which is so far removed from truth. Its banishment from the ideal society may however be revoked if it can prove to have its use in upholding truth, morality and virtue instead of detracting from it. PLATO'S VIEWS ON CENSORSHIP Plato through his speaker waxes eloquent on the need for censorship in art. Not only are the artists negligent with regard to truth but they contribute to moral decay as well. These imitators have no knowledge of what is good, bad or truly beautiful; they merely portray what they perceive as the real thing. The common man is carried away by the lure and charm of the arts and has no way or means of piercing this faade. Socrates asserts that the better part of the soul is the one which seeks refuge in rationale. Poetry meanwhile appeals to the baser instincts in man. In the face of calamity most people in the grip of reason would attempt to keep calm, without indulging in wasteful and destructive passions. However in poetry, the protagonist would wallow in despair, bewailing his fate in lengthy oration. The audience will get carried away and forget themselves in the process without realizing that "from the evil of other men something of evil is communicated to themselves." Thus it is imperative that, art which is flippant, morally licentious or just plain ridiculous be firmly uprooted from society before it allows the beast in man to run wild resulting in moral collapse and social ruin. THE WRITER'S VIEW ON THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF ART While Plato's views on the role of art in the republic are convincing and partly justified, they tend to be rather extreme. After all art is hardly the harbinger of evil, it is portrayed to be. Plato says the darker side of human nature is brought to the fore on exposure to the arts, when it ought to be suppressed. But evil cannot be reined in forever, but through the arts a harmless outlet is found. Aristotle said that this catharsis makes the audience psychologically healthier and thus more capable of happiness.(from Danto) Moreover exposure to the arts can be an uplifting and illuminating experience. It rejuvenates the spirit by transcending the mundane while showing us the heights humans are capable of ascending. The drudgery and toil of human existence can be forgotten, if momentarily in the intoxicating confines of art. It explores the outer regions of imagination and in the process keeps alive the magic of pure living. Therefore for this and many more reasons art must be preserved wholeheartedly and not destroyed. Of course a little censorship is called for, as loathsome depravity often masquerades as art. But any attempt to banish art from society is an extreme and needless maneuver and amounts to nothing more than misplaced zealotry, at its worst. AESTHETICS - 2 INTRODUCTION According to the dictionary, music is the art of arranging or making sounds, usually those of musical instruments or voices, in groups and patterns that create a pleasing or stimulating effect. And it was on the relative merits and demerits of this term that two prominent Chinese philosophers waged war, bringing it to the forefront of critical consideration in philosophy. Mo Tzu and Hsun Tzu are towering figures in Chinese philosophy. They perpetuated different schools of thought and held diametrically opposing viewpoints on the value of music. Meanwhile the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer proclaimed that music was the most powerful of the arts as it had a direct bearing on emotion. The viewpoints of all three philosophers on the subject of music have been elaborated below. THE VALUE OF MUSIC ACCORDING TO MO TZU AND HSUN TZU Mo Tzu's case against music: In his Against Music, Mo Tzu leaves us in little doubt as to his opinion on the need for music. Mo Tzu belonged to a period characterized by constant conflict, chaos and confusion. Therefore he came to frown on excesses in general and prescribed utility and peaceful coexistence as a way of life. Mozi as he was called believed it was a fundamental duty to embrace all things beneficial and denounce everything that was harmful. He condemned music not because its delights were lost on him but because it was of precious little value to the common man. Therefore he stated, "Making music is wrong". (qtd. in Cooper, 47) It enraged him that heavy taxes had to be levied to make musical instruments when the money could have been used to alleviate the misery. Mozi would not have ventured to condemn music if the pleasant sounds of the bells, drums, zithers and pipes had served to put food in the mouth of a hungry child, or clothed a poor man. But unfortunately that was not the case. Furthermore, besides being a source of distraction, it distracts those who are trying to engage in worthwhile occupation and prompts them to neglect their tasks. He winds up his vitriolic outburst by proclaiming, "If the rulers, ministers, and gentlemen of the world truly desire to promote what is beneficial to the world and eliminate what is harmful, they must prohibit and put a stop to this thing called music."(qtd. in Cooper, 50) Hsun Tzu's case for music: Hsun Tzu or Xunzi's, A discussion of music aims to directly counter the arguments raised by Mo Tzu on the subject of music. His argument in defense of music is based on the fact that the Chinese characters for music (yue) and joy (yao) were the same. Thus he begins his essay with the statement, "Music is joy" (qtd. in Cooper, 50)He says that man is by nature an emotional creature and his passions need and must find a safe outlet. Former kings were anxious to avoid disorders, resulting from excitable dispositions and they encouraged the creation of odes and hymns to enable the venting of natural exuberance. Xunzi endorsed the performance of music in a manner that would bring out the best in man while subduing the evil inherent in his character. He claimed that music had a harmonizing effect on the masses besides lending vigor to soldiers on the way to battle and serving as a balm to soothe the injured spirit. Xunzi is angered by Mo Tzu's criticism of music and attacks him directly by saying, "Mo Tzu's attempts to teach the Way may be compared to a blind man trying to distinguish black from white [or] a deaf man trying to tell a clear tone from a muddy one" (qtd. in Cooper, 51) He warns people about the danger in depraved or seductive music and advises the exercise of prudent judgment in the selection of music. It is a gentleman's duty to listen to music that will serve as food for his senses as well as his soul. SCHOPENHAUER'S STAND ON MUSIC Schopenhauer developed a philosophy that had the nature of "will" as its focal point. The term "will" denotes not only individual desires but the essence of living as well. His outlook was essentially pessimistic and he believed that life itself was tragic. In the words of Danto, he "believed that the forms of the universe, like the eternal Platonic forms, exist beyond the worlds of experience, and that aesthetic satisfaction is achieved by contemplating them for their own sakes, as a means of escaping the painful world of daily experience." Schopenhauer dapples in the realms of the abstract as opposed to the Chinese philosophers. Sometimes his views appear to be far removed from reality. An understanding of his philosophy is necessary to understand the significance he attaches to music. For Schopenhauer music alone reveals the reverberations of the underlying will itself. He asserts that the world is nothing but the appearance of ideas which we are cognizant of, thanks to knowledge. And according to Schopenhauer, "music, since it passes over the Ideas, is also quite independent of the phenomenal, positively ignores it, and, to a certain extent, could still exist even if there were no world at all, which cannot be said of the other arts." Such is the supreme power of music. The other ideas are mere copies of the Ideas which are the objectivities of the will, but music is a copy of the will itself. Therefore Schopenhauer states, "For this reason the effect of music is so very much more powerful and penetrating than is that of the other arts, for these others speak only of the shadow, but music of the essence." He gives music a sublime, other- worldly quality. CONCLUSION In conclusion it may be said that whether music is loved, despised or philosophized about there is no escaping its influence in our lives. Works Cited Cooper, D.E (ed.).Aesthetics: the classic readings. Oxford: Blackwell Publishings,1997. Danto, A.C. "Aesthetics". Microsoft Encarta Reference Library. 2003. Plato. The Republic: book 10- the recompense of life. Transltr. Benjamin, J.2000. The Classical Library. 10 May 2006. http://www.classicallibrary.org/plato/dialogues/republic/book10.htm Schopenhauer, A. The World as Will and Representation: Vol. 1.Transltr. Payne, E.F.J. Dover Publications, 1967. . Read More