English 2200F/G Study Guide - Final Guide: Dithyramb, Ars Poetica (Horace), Scientific Method
13 Dec 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Course: English 2200F
Prof. G. Donaldson
Textbook: Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism
Plato, Republic
- we relate things to general concepts that we know
o idea of a table, but how is it a table? Has common properties (four
legs) – idea of tableness
- properties participates in the idea
- somebody had the idea of the table, unless the table resulted from an ideal
realm of forms
o i.e. no chairs but perfect idea of chairs
- cannot deduce their elements
- we live a world of false perceptions
- God always gets it right the first time
o i.e. made a single realm bed – original thought
- Apriori Concept: Plato believes at one point we all know the realm of real
form
o Why we have desire because we once knew truth
- (ow to put an item to work; wont know that if you know how to produce it
o Leaves you not understanding its deep selfness – wont know what
makes itself
- Move from concept to the local and the particular cause otherwise you wont
work with your senses
- The world we see is mutable and secondary (echo)
- Allegory of the cave
o Human condition
- Hates ART for the reason that it is fourth removed
o Physical things that exists in the wolrd
o Steps away from truth
o Diminished form of truth
o Represents others creations: two generation away from reality
- All our senses are illusions: shadows we mistake for real things
- God produces ideas of things, but not actual product
- Platonic method: socratic, knowledge is Hollistic
Notes
- was against the arts, would not fund them
- People should not be told lies
o do the arts tell lies?
- )s this a chair?
o we have an abstract notion of what a chair is
o we have an idea of what something is
o does this object in front of me conform to my idea of it?
- (ow do we decide if something is fair?
o Plato says we have idea of fairness with no material reality
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o Exists only as an idea
o We compare to the idea of justice
▪ Issues conform to our idea of justice
o Same with beautiful
▪ What is beauty
▪ We have abstract idea of beauty
▪ Does this conform to or abstract idea of beauty?
- Form )dga vs. Material world
o no material reality; exists as an idea
o we compare material world to abstract in our head
o we come to understanding of material world only by having
immaterial world of conceptualizations
- Arts
o Copy of material world
o We look at art and compare to material world
o Assess value by which arts reproduce the material world
- )d be creating appearances, not real things
o Truth > Copy > COPY
- Emotions: intangible, but they exist in the material world in how we perceive
them in others
- Plato does not recognize contingent truth; only truth
- P doesnt deal with fantasy
- Ontology: examination of something and what it is
- Prof thoughts:
o P makes ontomological mistake:
▪ We dont ask to art meet requirements of material world copy
▪ We ask different questions of a pice of art than we ask of the
material world copy
▪ Plato confuses object itself with representation of object
▪ The abilities of each object are different
- The arts tell us lies in beguiling ways
- The effect the arts have on people
o People measure merit on criteria
o People can judge arts on its usefulness
o If a work of art leads to undesireable outcomes, why allow that art in
our world?
o The arts encourage imaginative engagement with others, sympathy;
Plato sees this as bad
▪ Because good soldiers cant sympathize with people
Aristotle, Poetics
- Platos pupil
- Plato is tableness; Aristotle takes measuring tape and compres
- Aristotle method: world is not one, world is many
- Poetry: something made, poet makes it, poeticus
- A asks what makes the difference?
- Manors of imitations
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o Manors
▪ How is the story told?
▪ Are there characters?
▪ Two ways of presenting material
o Objects
▪ Different way of approaching work: classifying importance of
object
o Media
▪ Different physical forms in which a story is presented
▪ Tell song using song
▪ Tell story, sing story, dance story
- GOAL: wholeness; all aspects speak for other aspects
o Cant subtract any elements of wholeness
- Great work of art tells one story
- Catharsis: venting or purging of emotion
- Tragedy has magnitude; scale, we stand in awe
- Catharsis: was important to Athenian state, once a year people go to play and
cry
- The sense of tragedy is kind of pleasure in pain
- Work of art is its own things: a mode of knowledge
- Poetry is superior to history
Notes:
- People give poets names according to the style they use
o Ex: epic poet
o This is a way of defining poetry
- Characters are either better than us, worse, or as good as the creator
- A approaches poetry from scientific viewpoint
o Examine constituent parts of poetry
o Draws conclusions from that
- Different kinds of poetry:
o Epic, tragedy, comedy, dithyrambic poetry, flute/lyre
o All are mimetic (imitative), but have differences
- First distinction:
o Means they employ
▪ A painter uses paint; a poet, words, rhythms, harmony
▪ Different combos of media make different artforms
▪ Poetry uses many things
• Different uses makes different kinds of poetry
- Second distinction:
o Objects are imitated
▪ Poetry represents agents who are better than, worse than, or
like us
- Third distinction:
o Manner of representation
▪ Poet speaks directly in narrative or assumes characters
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Document Summary
We relate things to general concepts that we know legs) idea of tableness. Properties participates in the idea somebody had the idea of the table, unless the table resulted from an ideal realm of forms i. e. no chairs but perfect idea of chairs form cannot deduce their elements. We live a world of false perceptions. God always gets it right the first time: why we have desire because we once knew truth. Apriori concept: plato believes at one point we all know the realm of real i. e. made a single realm bed original thought. (ow to put an item to work; won(cid:495)t know that if you know how to produce it: leaves you not understanding its deep selfness won(cid:495)t know what. Move from concept to the local and the particular cause otherwise you won(cid:495)t work with your senses. The world we see is mutable and secondary (echo) Allegory of the cave makes itself: human condition.
