Plato Was A Philosopher In Greece - Free Essay Example

Plato was a philosopher in Greece and was born between 429 and 423 BC and died in 347 BC at approximately the age of 81. Plato founded the Academy in Athens which was a institution of learning. At about 380 BC Plato wrote the Republic about concerning justice and it was one of Platos best works. Aristotle was another Greek philosopher who was born in 384 BC and died in 322 BC. Aristotle was in Platos academy being taught by Alexander The Great and later founded his own academy which he named The Lyceum. Both Plato and Aristotle had different opinions, views, and theories on artistic imitation. Plato said as we experience it, is an illusion, a collection of mere appearances like reflections in a mirror or shadows on a wall. (Quoted by Rosalind Hursthouse in Truth and Representation, Philosophical Aesthetics.) Pato is saying that he thinks art is an illusion and they are mirrors. Plato talks about how art cant represent the real world because its all an imitation. He also goes into three types of Form including God, the maker, the painter. He goes on and talks about God is the one who creates the idea. Then the maker of the thing is the one who is imitating God. Then last but not least the painter is the one imitating the imitation or in other since the painters painting is an imitation. Aristotles theory is that artistic imitation is a good thing because it helps us experience real things without us having to go through them ourselves, he also said it can help us achieve something called catharsis which means the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions. Aristotle relates artistic imitation to other things such as plays and poetry. Aristotle talks about this in the first chapter of his book Poetics he says Epic poetry and Tragedy, Comedy also and Dithyrambic poetry, as also the music of the flute and the lyre in most of their forms, are in their general conception modes of imitation. They differ however, from one another in three respectstheir medium, the objects and the manner or mode of imitation, being in each case distinct. I think its cool that even though Aristotle was a student of Plato they both have completely different views on the theory of artistic imitation. Its also still crazy because they were even alive at the same time and living and still have different theories about the artistic imitation. I dont know whos theory i can trust more but i lean on Platos side a little more and heres why. First off his theory came out before Aristotles did. Second off Aristotle was a student of Plato which might mean that Aristotle was just using what Plato was saying. Another reason is that Plato had a really successful academy with other very smart people and thats why aristotle was there because he was very smart. Im not saying that aristotles theory is wrong im just saying that i like platos side a little more but thats just my opinion and my opinion can be wrong. Both opinions definitely have there strength and weakness though and I dont fully agree or disagree with either Plato or Aristotle.