Ancient and classical literary criticism finds its origins in Plato's work, particularly in key passages of his dialogue The Republic. In this dialogue, Plato's protagonist, Socrates, engages in a debate with students about the nature of poetry and its impact on the ideal Republic, specifically its effect on its citizens.
Socrates, essentially Plato's voice, argues that poetic representation can wield significant influence over society, both positive and negative. For instance, he contends that poetry describing the afterlife as a bleak, joyless realm where souls wander aimlessly can be detrimental to the morale of soldiers. In a militaristic society, courage and aggression are vital qualities in its soldiers, and such a bleak portrayal of the afterlife can undermine these qualities.
Plato also discusses the representation of gods in poetry. He criticizes the practice of depicting gods behaving immorally, viewing it as highly dangerous. This representation of gods behaving poorly can negatively shape the moral values of society.
The Republic delves into various other aspects of poetry and literature. One such element is Plato's theory of representation, which is intertwined with his theory of forms. According to Plato, reality is a distorted reflection of a deeper reality, as exemplified in the famous "Allegory of the Cave" enumerated in the dialog. This allegory asserts that sensory perception offers only a limited understanding of reality, while a truer reality exists beyond our senses, composed of immortal and eternal ideal forms.
Plato's perspective on representation influences his perception of poetry, leading him to regard it as a lesser and potentially dangerous form of representation. For instance, he would consider a poetic description of a beautiful horse as less significantly valuable than an actual concrete horse, which, in turn, is less valuable than the ideal concept of "horseness" existing in some immaterial realm.
Despite his reservations about poetry, Plato does allow for its presence in his ideal Republic, provided it serves a specific pro-social purpose. This lays the foundation for understanding the role of a literary critic. According to Plato, the critic of literature should evaluate works based not on their aesthetic qualities but on their impact on society--whether they promote pro-social or anti-social effects.
This perspective raises thought-provoking questions for literary critics:
- Should works of art be assessed primarily based on their societal effects?
- Is it valid to evaluate works of art solely on their aesthetic qualities?
- What role does art play in shaping society?
In summary, key passages of The Republic by Plato raise enduring questions that continue to be relevant for literary critics. They offers valuable insights into the nature of literature and the role of critics in evaluating its societal impact, making them passages worthy of closer examination and analysis.
