Plato's The Republic Ⅹ

Plato's The Republic Ⅹ：which is thrice removed from the king and from the truth.，which tends to stimulate the irrational elements of human nature and get rid

Republic - Book Ⅹ

• Two Worlds
  • Plato set up the criteria of truth.
  • an intelligible (real) world
    • ideal (idea or form)
      • Truth
      • a bed in nature
        • God
  • a perceptible world (our world)
    • appearance
      • a copy of idea
      • beds (we sleep on)
        • carpenters/makers
    • imitation
      • a copy of a copy
      • paintings
        • painters
• Potery and Poet
  • Plato set up the criteria to evaluate art: social effect.
  • the scope of imitation
    • from painting (seeing) to poetry (hearing)
  • express the contempt of Homer, a tragic poet
  • the characteristics of poetry
    • which is thrice removed from the king and from the truth.
    • which tends to stimulate the irrational elements of human nature and get rid of the control of reason.
    • In Plato's opinion, poetrys are dangerous to the stability of the ideal republic or city state. → bad social effect
  • the way to treat poets
    • to expel them from "the Republic"
    • to regulate and limit their writing, make it obedient to the guidance of ideal and useful to the state
• Eternal Justice
  • the soul is immortal
  • The different endings of the just and the unjust
  • Only by pursuing wisdom and justice forever can the world receive the love of themselves and God before and after death.
• three artists
• three beds