1.1.2.

          Art connected with transcendence

          The Phaedrus dialogue tells us in general that when the desires of the rational and reasonable faculties in the human soul succeed in their desire to dominate its conduct, then this person will keep his inner eye fixed on recognizing transcendent realities existing in our material reality. When he perceives the physical and material beauty of a human body he will not get obsessed by his instinctive desires, but on the contrary he will constrain himself and he will recognize the transcendent quality of this beauty, causing an intense passionate amorousness and 'divine madness'. A similar phenomenon appears to be the case with artists, who recognize this transcendent quality in the beauty of their art or art performance, and who get incited by this to a state of 'divine madness'. Art can so to speak inspire people with its transcendent quality and bring them in a state of 'Music divine madness', and this phenomenon gets exhaustibly treated in Plato's Io dialogue. Though the Phaedrus dialogue covers both these types of 'divine madness' (together with the 'divine madness' of mantics, soothsayers and initiated-mystics) under the common denominator, the Io dialogue focuses solely on the 'divine madness' of performing artists, caused by art like for example that of Homer. There is no mention made of Eros in this Io dialogue, but Symposium connects the creative qualities of Eros specifically with the literary products of for example Homer and Hesiod.
          However in the Io dialogue Socrates calls the poets 'interpreters of the Gods', who just like soothsayers and such-like 'demoniac' peoples convey their message in a state of 'divine madness' (Io 534d-e). This links up with the similar description in Symposium (202e) of Eros as the 'demon' and 'translator between men and the Gods'. Or in other words their inspiration and 'divine madness' is caused both by their recognition of the transcendent beauty of a piece of art and by the desire (or should we say 'by the will') of the Gods to transfer this transcendent state of being to men. The Io dialogue presents the 'Music divine madness' with regard to the infectious nature of art and its potential of transferring feelings. As a consequence of this inspired 'divine madness' artists can transfer their true insights on a 'correct and suiting manner' to its public.
          The theme of the Io dialogue is how 'divine inspiration' and not some sort of mechanical rational process, causes both to successfully transfer feelings and to guarantee the proper content with regard to the products of creative artists and performers (533d). It is the 'divine madness' that causes the rhapsodist Io to get induced in some sort of mind altering state of consciousness that transcends him and lifts him up above his mere rational capacities. On the contrary in the Io dialogue the sober, mechanical and rational poetry can only produce artificial and inferior scamped work, which the Phaedrus dialogue (278d-e) associated with the finite emotional and instinctive desires that caused its origin, and which Symposium identified with any art or knowledge that was not caused by 'demoniac' inspiration (203a).
          Socrates contests in the Io dialogue the commonly believed prejudice as that art has the possibility to produce any rational and reasonable useful knowledge, on the contrary it only appeals to the sentient emotional and instinctive part of the soul. The artist has nevertheless the capacity to speak about matters that have a moral relevance. The Phaedrus dialogue (245a) links up with this and tells about the 'Music divine madness' caused by art, that the bringing on stage of heroic deeds (morally) educates our posterity.
          Socrates explains the rhapsodist Io the cause of his successful performance of Homer by means of the metaphor of the magnetic stone (533d-534a). And it looks like the magnetic quality of this stone correlates with the attractive power of beauty caused by Eros. The magnetic stone that he presents in his example has the power to attract iron objects and to transfer that magnetic quality on them, so that they on their turn have the potential to attract other iron objects. In this manner a whole sequence of iron objects is generated that are clung together, which ultimately depend on the magnetic power of that one first stone. Plato is very clear in what he reckons to be the essence of the message of this metaphor in relation to artistic expression (535c-e). The magnetic stone is a representation of the transcendent Muse, who is the primal and propelling power (and by whose demoniac desire this force is initiated) behind a certain correct and proper emotional message. The next in the magnetic row is the poet who gets directly inspired by the Muse during the creation of his work. After the poet comes Io the rhapsodist who inspired and affected by its transcendent power becomes 'enthusiastic' (or should we say gets filled up with its 'transcendent essence' and incited to a 'divine madness'), and therefore has the capacity to transfer these divine feelings to his audience, causing in the end all of them (the poet, the rhapsodist and the audience) to live trough and experience the 'transcendent' feelings the Muse originated.
          Because of the primal transcendent power of the Muse Io can connect the whole audience with the feelings he experiences and exhibits on stage. Socrates explains Io that this magnetizing effect is not thanks to some skill or knowledge, but thanks to a divine predestined and innate talent. Symposium obviously called this kind of transference of transcendent matters 'demoniac', which only was made possible by the desire of a God. Io was exclusively inspired by the art work of Homer because of an unique innate talent, just like other performing artist were exclusively inspired by other poets. The exuberant clothing and frills of Io during his artistic performance gets heavily ridiculed by Socrates and is not taken very seriously, in conformity with Plato's preference in the Politeia for a simple and sober form of artistic expression. It is solely thanks to the inspiring transcendent guidance of the Muse that Io is able to speak so well about Homer, and that so many people get appealed and dragged along with the feelings he expresses. The rhapsodist works from his inner drive caused by an inspiration with a divine origin that first takes control of him to be later spread among his audience. The rhapsodist Io recites so infectious not by any learning or skill but because of his inner impulse that origins from his transcendent inspiration consisting of feelings given to him by the Muse's desire. In short, both individuality, and a sincere drive, and an tuning in to the transcendent dimension (causing an enthusiastic state or 'divine madness') seem to be the most important conditions for the magnetic and infectious qualities of art.
          The Politeia judges art for its possible positive contribution with regard to the literary-artistic education of the guardians in the ideal state to obtain moral superiority (II 376d). Art serves the purpose in this ideal state to develop by means of the feelings it evokes, the desired moral constitution and therefore has to stimulate them to be pious and full of piety. The moral exemplary function of art must encourage them to be courageous (the hearth region of the soul), and to exercise self-control with regard to their instinctive desires and pleasures (lower region of the soul) (III 389e-390d). Plato tells how music penetrates the emotional parts of the soul in a most direct manner, which gives it the potential to neutralize and harmonize its negative forces (III 401d). A good harmonic musical education gives them the possibility to praise or condemn in a proper manner the good and the ugly, before any rational consideration (III 402a). All good art is the product of a reasonable mind coupled with an in all respects excellent moral nature (III 400e). With regard to the metaphor of the soul in the Phaedrus dialogue this would mean that art produces a learning process for both the horses (the emotional and instinctive aspect of the soul). When somebody's rational and reasonable 'leading principle' of his soul is in control, then his inner eye will be fixed on transcendent realities like the truth, and the art he produces will be able to configure and harmonize both the horses by actual emotional practise and habituation, thereby causing both horses to produce the necessary vital and dynamic tractive power to fulfil his desire for a transcendental rise and uplift.
 
 

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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.