Plato on Poetry

Imitation or Inspiration

Bibliographic Data

ID4882369
AuthorsNickolas Pappas (0000-0003-4386-4522, City University of New York, corresponding author)
Year2012
Volume7
Issue10
Pages669-678
Publication date2012-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilosophy Compass (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1747-9991 • E-ISSN: 1747-9991
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1747-9991.2012.00512.x
OpenAlexW1748990226
LanguageEN
References cited24

A passage in Plato's Laws (719c) offers a fresh look at Plato's theory of poetry and art. Only here does Plato call poetry both mimêsis "imitation, representation," and the product of enthousiasmos "inspiration, possession." The Republic and Sophist examine poetic imitation; the Ion and Phaedrus (with passages in Apology and Meno) develop a theory of artistic inspiration; but Plato does not confront the two descriptions together outside this paragraph. After all, mimêsis fuels an attack on poetry, while enthousiasmos is sometimes used to attack it, sometimes to praise it. The explanation evidently lies in Plato's understanding of drama, which in the Laws has grown more precise, from simply the presentation of characters to the presentation of multiple characters engaged in dramatic conflict

Art · Drama · Imitation · Linguistics · Literature · Poetry · Possession (linguistics) · Praise · Presentation (obstetrics) · Representation (politics) · Sophist · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classical Philosophy and Thought · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

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