In his theory of Mimesis, Plato says that all art is mimetic by nature ; art is an imitation of life. He believed that ‘idea' is the ultimate reality. Art imitates idea and so it is imitation of reality. ... Hence, he believed that art is twice removed from reality.
Why is art an imitation?
Art imitates physical things (objects or events). Physical things imitate Forms (read Plato's Theory of the Forms). Therefore art is a copy of a copy, the third remove from reality. ... For Plato, the fact that art imitates (mimesis), meant that it leads a viewer further and further away from the truth towards an illusion .
Why did Plato say that art is an imitation?
Plato had two theories of art. ... According to this theory, since art imitates physical things , which in turn imitate the Forms, art is always a copy of a copy, and leads us even further from truth and toward illusion. For this reason, as well as because of its power to stir the emotions, art is dangerous.
Why art is an imitation and representation?
Mastery of nature in art demands more than mere imitation; it requires representation. ... According to ancient Greek philosophy, art imitates life . Works of art, therefore, should try to accurately resemble real life subjects. It is this imitation that creates an aesthetic or artistic response in the observer.
Why does Plato believe that art should be censored?
Plato's second argument for censorship is that it is needed for the protection of our society. He argues that there is a specific reason that we need to censor potentially corrupting material from the youth, and that is because when they grow up the survival of the country will depend upon them .
Is it true that art is an imitation?
So art is imitation . ... In the Republic, Plato says that art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life. In other words, a work of art is a copy of a copy of a Form. It is even more of an illusion than is ordinary experience.
Which is an example of imitation?
Imitation is defined as the act of copying, or a fake or copy of something. An example of imitation is creating a room to look just like a room pictured in a decorator magazine. An example of imitation is fish pieces sold as crab . ... The act of imitating.
What does Aristotle mean by imitation?
In Aristotle's view, poetic imitation is an act of imaginative creation by which the poet draws his poetic material from the phenomenal world, and makes something new out of it. ... In his view, Imitation is the objective representation of life in literature . It is the imaginative reconstruction of life.
How do Aristotle and Plato differ on the theory of imitation?
Aristotle differs with Plato on the pragmatic value of poetry . Plato as a dualist divides reality into two world- world of ideas and world of senses. ... Aristotle does not see imitation as impairment of rational faculty, so he does not find any fault in poetry, which imitate men in action.
What is the concept of imitation?
Imitation (from Latin imitatio, “a copying, imitation”) is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior . Imitation is also a form of social learning that leads to the “development of traditions, and ultimately our culture.
What are the 3 functions of art?
The functions of art normally fall into three categories: physical, social, and personal .
What are the similarities and differences between art as an imitation and art as a representation?
Answer: In representational theory, art is defined by its ability to represent reality . This does not mean that art must always imitate reality, but it must in some form (even through abstraction) depict reality. Thus, the foundational relationship between humans and art is one of perception, not emotion.
What is the theory of imitation?
In a strict sense, the theory refers to imitation of a reality that can be perceived through the senses . ... The imitation theory is often associated with the concept of “mimesis”, a Greek word that originally meant “imitation”, “representation” or “copy”, specifically of nature.
Does Plato believe in censorship?
Plato was particularly interested in education and the arts on public display. His argument was that these things must be rigidly controlled and censored , lest people get evil ideas and thus degrade the body politic. Plato's call for censorship for the common good began with his critique of religion.
Where does Plato talk about censorship?
Censorship is the subject of several dialogues in The Republic, the major work of Greek philosopher Plato. His stance is perhaps summarized in Book II of The Republic by the phrase that “literature may be either true or false”, i.e. true stories and fictions, Plato objects to the fictions as false.
What is art According to Plato and Aristotle?
Plato and Aristotle spoke of mimesis as the re-presentation of nature. According to Plato, all artistic creation is a form of imitation: that which really exists (in the “world of ideas”) is a type created by God; the concrete things man perceives in his existence are shadowy representations of this ideal type.
