For the (Philosophical) Love of Poetic Beauty: Plato’s hope in Republic

Cooper, Andrew

Abstract

It is a well-worn trope to view Plato’s banishment of the poets in Republic as a crude form of philistinism. In this paper I defend Plato against this charge. I argue that Republic does not present a final view of poetry, for it leaves room for a philosophical love of poetic beauty. First I analyse the political nature of Plato’s critique of poetry. I suggest that Plato does not reject the political order of change and decay, but opens space for a new kind of political project. I then suggest that Plato’s discussion of tragic poetry in Book X supports this claim, for it contains the hope for a reconfigured love of poetic beauty. I conclude that Plato does not limit aesthetic experience to artistic solace or metaphysical escapism, but opens a way to see aesthetic experience as a vital part of building a world in which it makes sense to live.

Citation

Cooper, A. (2017). For the (Philosophical) Love of Poetic Beauty: Plato’s hope in Republic. Philosophical Inquiry, 41(1), 111-126. https://doi.org/10.5840/philinquiry20174118

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 3, 2020
• Journal: Philosophical Inquiry
• Print ISSN: 1105-235X
• Electronic ISSN: 2163-3215
• Publisher: Philosophy Documentation Center
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 111-126
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/philinquiry20174118
• Related Public URLs: http://www.academia.edu/24805640/For_the_Philosophical_Love_of_Poetic_Beauty_Platos_hope_in_Republic_forthcoming_