The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization

by Arthur Herman

Imitation was, Aristotle said, natural to human beings and a constant source of pleasure.18 To create a painting of clouds that actually look like clouds and trees that look like trees, or to craft a dramatic scene of horror (as in Oedipus Rex) or a happy scene such as a family reunion that vividly captures real-life emotions, is what connects an artist’s or poet’s work to his audience. Aristotle called the experience katharsis, which was the most important benchmark of artistic skill. This meant that an Aristotle-influenced art was above all a spectator-driven art. Whether he was painting a picture or cutting statues, writing a poem or composing a drama, Aristotle’s artist aimed at presenting a picture of “nature as it is, or ought to be” that would move an audience in much the same way Aristotle wanted his public speaker to do.19 Eventually, the rules of the Poetics became a subgroup of the Rhetoric, since both rested on the same principle. Above all, every poet or artist (like the orator) needed an inspiring message to communicate to his audience, so that their emotions can be moved by virtue and away from vice.