1.1.

          Art.

          In Symposium (206c-d) it has been said that the working (e)rgon) of Eros is situated in a 'begetting in the beautiful', in order to obtain immortality. This refers first to the procreation of offspring by means of a beautiful partner. This creative process is also brought in relation with the 'procreation' of insights ('spiritual children') by 'creative artists' (209a) This covers both scientific works and the literary products of poets like Homer and Hesiod (209d). The Phaedrus dialogue judges the nature and works of Eros using a synoptic scheme. Plato general classification of Eros gets first evaluated through a exemplification of a homosexual love affair. Later on this synoptic survey covers also the creative work of writers (including an evaluation of the three speeches discussing the love affairs) (244a).
          The definition of Eros in the synoptic scheme relates the creative writing with its 'tricky' duality. When creative writers are internally under the guidance of the desires of their rational and reasonable faculty, they will focus their inner eye on transcendent realities like the truth, and because of that will procreate 'spiritual children' that express his wisdom (278d). However when the emotional and instinctive faculty in their soul succeeds in their desires to control its conduct, then the creative writer will try his utmost to satisfy his urge for ambitious vanity or greed for money by seeking for the favour of the masses. Plato tells about this 'tricky' aspect of Eros that it gives flatterers and other forms of charming but morally questionable desires an instantaneous pleasure. The flatterer has to be connected in the Phaedrus dialogue with the 'morally questionable lover' (240). This typification is however also applicable to the 'morally questionable orators' (267d). One could say that these writers by means of their flattering try to pursue the popularity of their audience in order to satisfy their ambition or need for money or sexual gratification, just like lovers try to win the favour of their beloved to get some satisfaction. Plato terms in the Phaedrus dialogue the written products of poets, orators and lawmakers who are controlled by their emotional and instinctive faculty and who pursue gratification of their immoral desires through their 'spiritual children', to be made of (artificially) 'cutting apart and gluing together'. Text fragments in the Phaedrus dialogue and numerous other dialogues (Politeia, Gorgias) relate frequently 'bad art' and 'bad orators' with mere flattery. They describe the methodically and preconceived manipulation of feelings through art to win the favour of its audience in comparable terms. Artists feel no shame to produce vulgarities on the stages of theatres just to win the favour of its audience.
          Plato deals with art in the Politeia from several different perspectives. He first brings art up in the second and third book with regard to the 'Music' education of the guardians in his ideal state. Art is used to harmonize the emotional and instinctive parts of the soul. It does not give us any reasonable knowledge but it has an educational and constituting effect on the human emotions, and therefore can be helpful to create the desirable moral constitution (VII, 522a). The learning process of the emotional and instinctive elements of the soul is not rational, but takes place by practice, experience and habituation. Other segments in book ten treat the art as it had been produced at that time in classical Greece. Plato warns in this respect against the unfavourable effects of most art with regard to the moral constitution of its audience.
 
 

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updated April 29, 1999 author: Drs. T. J.  Kuijl ©1995-1999. Comments are welcome and can be send via e-mail (click on e-mail) Quotations of the content of this article should mention the author's name and its source. Copies of this article must leave the text unaltered including the copyright reference. Dissemination of  electronic copies is not allowed.