Answer to Question #158339 in Microeconomics for QASIM

Question

Give an illustrative example of Art and Beauty in accordance with any one philosophical theory in detail.

Answer 1

Solution:

Plato’s philosophy of Aesthetics theory.

Plato had a love-hate relationship with the arts. One part of the theory is that Art is an imitation. Plato said that Art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life. That is, a work of art is a copy of a copy of a form. Art is more of an illusion than is ordinary experience. The theory suggests that works of art are at best entertainment, and at worst a dangerous delusion.

The other part of the theory is that Art is powerful, and therefore dangerous. Art tends to stir up emotions and move people powerfully. Art can strongly influence our behavior and even our character. As such, Plato demanded that Art should be part of the education to students, but should be censored to only the good.

Plato had a largely positive assessment with regards to Beauty in both natural and created manifestations. According to Plato, Beauty is a canonical platonic form, transcendent, mind-independent, absolute, and hence a suitable object of genuine knowledge. Moreover, beauty is intimately associated with the form of the good as an important, perhaps indispensable vehicle of the soul’s progress towards wisdom and virtue. The pleasures of beauty are consistent with those of philosophy and Plato characterizes the experience of beauty as a catalyst for philosophical wonder.