1.1.1.

          Art without a connection with transcendence

          When the emotional and instinctive faculties in the human soul succeed in their desire to dominate its conduct, then this person will not be interested and focussed on truth, justice and wisdom, but in gaining pleasures in finite phenomena in the material reality. Writers of poetic and literary works with this attitude will not produce any rational and moral insight, but their rational capacities will be instrumental to satisfy their own finite ambitions such as fame and financial gain by means of winning the favour of its audience by satisfying the public's finite desires for morally questionable pleasures to get entertained. The Phaedrus dialogue associates Eros 'tricky' nature with corrupted affairs like a desire for flattery (of for instance a 'bad lover') that produce a certain charm and instantaneous intense pleasure (240a-b). Other dialogues of Plato also typify morally bad art and speeches to be forms of flattery (Politeia VI 493a, Gorgias 501d-503d). Art that only pursued to flatter and entertain the public at large was cut off from its educational and moral value. Poets did not leave any method untested to court the favour of its audience. This poetry that was not concerned with the truth, but got corrupted into a demagogic art of pleasing, in which there was no place for any sincere moral substance or message. The original morally educational function of art degraded to a poetic art of pleasing that provided its public some entertainment.
          The mixed and 'tricky' quality of Eros gave the expression of 'finite and morally questionable emotions' in art a certain charm that appealed strongly to its audience. The most popular art choose predominantly that feelings as its subject that had a morally inferior value. The masses which were 'hooked' on desires guided by the emotional and instinctive faculty of the soul, enjoyed being dragged along by these type of feelings in an artistic production. This art predominantly expressed feelings of anger or grieve (the hearth region of the soul) or feelings of sexual desire (the lower regions of the soul). Translated in the metaphor of the soul in the Phaedrus dialogue this art, which was targeted to produce pleasure of the finite material reality, caused both the horses (both the emotional and instinctive feelings) to stampede and pervert, thereby losing their vital and dynamic tractive power to perceive and reach any of the transcendent realities in our material world (in conformity with Politeia X 606d).
          Plato condemned the unfavourable influence of art in a society by demonstrating the imitating qualities of art by means of the 'third bed' argument (Politeia X 596a). According to this argument the imitation of a figurative image has the greatest possible distance between the transcendent original of which it is a copy. Any accurate representation of the reality in art is not meant to add any further meaning, but is only a technical skill used to foul the senses.
          Actors used the outward representation of half gods and epic heroes to try identify themselves completely with the role they portray and they aim at making the public believe this was the case. This false pretence of 'vivid realism' is in contrast with the exaggerated dramatic qualities of that art, and not only alienates people from reality but also entails a perverting moral influence (Politeia X 603c-604d). In short the strive for the appearance of 'realistic imitation' in art does not guarantee any degree of truth or any moral integrity. Therefore the 'Music' education of the guardians in Plato's ideal state left very little opportunity for imitating epic heroes (Politeia III).
          Poets preferably performed dramatic acts on the stages of theatres to move the feelings of its audience (Politeia X 605a). The impersonation on stage of epic heroes and half gods who endure the most horrible and cruel torments is only produced because its appealing quality has an enchanting effect on its audience. All people sympathize with the main character of the play, however this type of feelings has a sinister and funny flavour (Politeia X 605c). The feelings these dramatic performances evoke is just a mixture of having pity and sympathy for the victim, and the sense of relieve that it concerns somebody else other then ourselves.
          In the Io dialogue the constant need of audiences for entertainment by the performance of many tragic literary products that depict the life of gods, half gods and heroes gets ridiculed by Plato. The Politeia (III 387b) tells us how this depiction of gods and supernatural entities in art is just a convenient subject matter to please its audience poetically. Another approved method used by poets to court the favour of the public is the false pretension that they give us useful knowledge in practical-, civil- and religious affairs. Plato posits in the Politeia that Homer has never had any relevant practical value for mankind or society (Politeia X 599c). The appealing quality of tragic stage productions gives the impression to make somehow sense, but its enchanting outward presentation covers up its empty content. Plato considered Homer's poetic theological representation of the Olympic gods to be mere blasphemy.
          Many times Plato compares the flattery of poets in their art with the methods politicians use in public meetings to court the favour of the masses (Politeia VI 493a, Gorgias 501d-503d). Their art of flattery perverted in a skill to please people without any concern for the truth. Both the poets and the politicians search premeditatedly and empirically to find out what it is that pleases their audience. In this manner they developed manners to steer the feelings of the masses wherever they wanted them. They had a big influence on the sentiment of the masses and it was for any individual in this agitated multitude nearly impossible to resist the coercive force of its emotional impact. Orators agitated during public meetings stirring up their hot-tempered sentiments, and often they abused this to convey their unjust and heartless convictions.
          During artistic performances something similar happened. Poets are capable to charm and enchant people by means of the outward appealing quality of their artistic productions, which had a direct impact on the sensuous, emotional and instinctive faculty of the soul. Because of its tempting and enchanting character art can make the false impression upon its public that it has a reasonable content (Politeia X 601a). This systematic and cunning manipulation of emotions by poets does not generate any social harmony but on the contrary poisons the moral attitude of its public. The poets feed with their artistic products the hot-tempered element in the soul with drama and passion, and the instinctive element with outward beauty or erotic fulfilment with finite material matters (Politeia 606d). The orators fed during political meetings the hot-tempered element in the soul with an audacious desire for war and revenge and the insatiable element in the soul with the prospect for even greater material benefits. In this manner both the poets and the orators are capable to pervert each of the emotional aspects (viz. the two horses: the hearth region and the lower part of the body) in the most extreme manner, causing people to be more greedy and bellicose.
          The greatest danger art possesses, is its capability to infect people with the highest moral standards with its inferior sentiments (Politeia X 605c). Art affects our feelings directly and spontaneously, and produces an inevitable emotional effect, contrary to science that requires a considerable mental and rational effort. Without any conscious approval by our side art has the potential to infect our sentient and emotional being with the most corrupted and perverted feelings. These considerations have driven Plato to the conclusion that because of its dangerous influence it is better for a society to refuse admittance than to allow morally perverting (Politeia X 595a-b, 607a; VIII 568a-b).
 
 

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Last 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.