Transformation and Transcendence of Artistic Form in Plato's Aesthetic Theory

• Main Authors: Camellia Talei Bafghi, Maryam Soltani Kouhanestani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Tabriz 2020-11-01
• Series: Philosophical Investigations
• Subjects: artistic form; ethical form; ethos; mimesis; plato
• Online Access: https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_8016_b3865414db0c0ce619fa78b273264b37.pdf

Nowadays, although our aesthetic ideas are based on modern theories and perspectives that have pervaded the art, the root of western tradition of art dates back to Greek and Roman art tradition. Theory of form in art tries to emphasize the materiality of artistic object, though in later theories, it has been more flexible and proposes issues such as content and function, as well as attributing concepts such as composition, color, technique etc. to the artwork. Plato by proposing mimesis theory and expanding its scope considered a pattern and framework for attitudes and thoughts in static arts such as painting, literature and dynamic performance arts such as drama and music, and managed to regulate and organize them. For Plato, in this process, ēthos functions as a determinant factor.  This present study is an attempt to discuss this question with descriptive-analytical approach: “will artistic form in Plato's theories be important after proposing the representational attitude toward art?” The results demonstrated that Plato's samples of beauty, in addition to descriptions and implications about the features of artistic form in some conversations can be considered equal to artistic form and due to the reflective theory in its revolution process, artistic form development into transcendence ethical form.