Aristotle's Philosophy of Art and Knowledge

Study Notes

Mimesis is a key human characteristic.
Through imitation, understanding of life and joy are gained.
Moderate fear is beneficial.
Mimesis is representation, not mere copying.
It allows individuals to confront life's challenges and explore the effects of behavior.

Plato believed that art encourages violence.
Aristotle thought violence may be even more prevalent without the presence of art.
Aristotle trusted the audience's critical thinking abilities.

Plato influenced artistic thought through Plotinus.
- Art directly reflects the world of ideas and forms.
- Art embodies ideal truths, goodness, and beauty in an imperfect physical world.
The Renaissance embraced idealistic concepts of beauty.
- Harmony, unity, symmetry, and light were emphasized.
Modern realism rests on two key assumptions:
- The phenomenal world is the true world.
- Art can and should accurately reflect this reality.

Gombrich argued that artists work through a conceptual framework.
- This framework includes traditions, techniques, conceptions, and conventions.
- Art is inherently conceptual rather than mimetic.
- Art history is a progression of styles and stereotypes.
Goodman suggested that the reproduction of reality is not based on resemblance, but on symbolism.
- Realism is defined by the dominant representational system within a specific culture or individual at a given time.

Art is exclusively a matter of emotional expression.
- Science focuses on rational knowledge.
- Art communicates what escapes the formal realm of argument.
- Art translates truths from the realm of knowledge to the realm of feeling.
Tolstoy believed in the democratization of the arts.
- Modern art was seen as an elite luxury.
- Emotions expressed in art should be simple, natural, and unspoiled.
He argued that art should morally elevate people.
- Art should instill feelings of communal love and solidarity.

CC-Theory views on history
- Croce emphasized the individual uniqueness of historical events.
  - Historians should focus on the internal (spiritual) aspects of historical events, not just the external.
  - The motivations and intentions of historical actors hold significance.
The world of ideas is perceived as perfect, true, good, and beautiful.
Innate knowledge of these forms is forgotten at birth but re-remembered through learning.

The idea of the good (justice) exists and must be actively sought.
Only philosophers in Plato's Republic have the capacity to fully grasp the good.
Society is divided into three classes:
- Philosophers (politics)
- Soldiers (security)
- The people (manual labor)
The goal of the Republic is achieving optimal 'justice':
- Communal economy without private property or ownership.
- Ascetic lifestyle emphasizing self-control and moderation.

The natural world is less real than the world of ideas.
- Crafts involve productive arts (but still a form of imitation).
- Arts are imitative, replicating a copy, and lack true understanding.
Art focuses on appearances rather than genuine comprehension.
Attractiveness is often mistaken as beauty and therefore goodness or truth.
Plato favored Egyptian and archaic Greek art:
- These styles emphasized geometric forms, simple harmony, and unity.
Plato rejected drama and tragedy.
Art should serve the state by producing:
- Poetry praising the Republic, music for marching, etc.

Aisthesis
- The science of sense perception, prevalent until the mid-18th century.
Aesthetics
- The systematic study of aesthetic judgment (in art and nature), emerging in the mid-18th century.
Philosophy of Art
- Critical reflection on the nature of art, arising in the late-18th century.

Current interests in aesthetics:
- Art beyond the conclusion of art (from postmodernism to post-postmodernism).
- Participatory elements within contemporary art (artists as sociologists).
- Arts-based research (utilizing tools from the arts & humanities in social sciences).

Art history analysis investigates the technical means used to achieve a work's effect.
- It also considers how an artist deviated from prevailing norms and how a work fits within the historical context of similar pieces (e.g., war scenes).
Philosophical inquiry explores ethical questions surrounding art.
- Should certain subjects (e.g., war) be depicted?
- Can we discern the artist's emotional perspective through the artwork?

Formal, not material distinctions define the difference.
Empirical and philosophical questions can address the same subject.
Empirical-scientific judgments are normative statements (e.g., materials used).
Philosophical questions transcend empirical observation (e.g., is objective representation possible?).

Similarities:
- Both disciplines are inherently normative in nature.
- Aestheticians often develop their theories based on personal taste.
- Art criticism frequently relies on established aesthetic theory.
Key distinction:
- Art criticism focuses on the specific, while philosophy of art explores the general.