Platonic And Aristotelian Theories Of Mimesis

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Plato and Aristotle both had similar views on imitation in art. But they differed in key ways as well. As we will see, Plato viewed mimesis as a kind of paradox. All in all, Plato's view of mimesis seems generally negative, for all the danger it presents to morality. Aristotle more or less adopted Plato's main points, as we will also see, but redefined some of the rather strict Platonic ideas about art and its uses, making it much less 'alarming' and potentially corrupting. This paper will explore the areas of overlap in the Platonic and Aristotelian views of mimesis, as well as the differences, making a case for a similar, yet profoundly different view of it in the conclusion. It begins by outlining both theories of imitation, and follows by discussing the respective strengths and shortcomings of both before concluding.

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