Lisa Pasch "Plato’s Theory of Art vs. Human Nature in the 21st Century"

The ancient philosopher Plato is one of the most popular and well known philosophers of all time. His writings give historians a look into the culture and daily life of his time and it gives us insight into the intellect of the people of ancient Greece. Unfortunately for us, Plato had some wild ideas about the world in which we live. In a previous class on human nature, I studied a little about Plato’s theory of the Forms and how the world around us is an imitation of a more perfect Form, stable and unchanging. If it can change, it is an imitation of a Form. This theory is in depth and complex, so if you’re interested I suggest reading Plato’s Republic for more insight into this theory. In our text Nature of Art, the summary of Plato says, “[Plato] was deeply suspicious of the arts because, in his view, they appeal to the emotions rather than to the intellect.” Logic and intellect should be at the top of your priority list, not emotions, for they can betray the logical man into being illogical and overtaken by these emotions. Of course, today we embrace our emotions and encourage our youth to learn to express their emotions in order to come to a state of calmness and well-being. Plato could have been a Vulcan blast from the future, purging all emotion to live a life of reason and logic, but that is not the way in which most humans wish to experience the world. It is not ideal to have emotional outbursts, but it is important to work through our emotions healthily in order to gain balance in our lives. Plato’s time he may have seen art produce unwanted reactions from those around him or even himself which lead him to feel uncomfortable and think poorly on the arts. Whatever his reasoning for his view on art, I am sad that Plato never had the chance to really enjoy the beautiful aspects that art has to offer. Art really is an amazing and multifaceted craft and is highly respected among most cultures of today’s world.