On Aristotle’s Inheritance and Development of Plato’s Theory of Imitation

1、On Aristotles Inheritance and Development of Platos Theory of Imitation张晨Untilthebeginningofmodernism，themostadmiredqualityinWesternartismimesisobjectsinpaintingandsculpturecloselyresemblingthingsinreallife.PlatoandAristotlearethetwomaincontributorsinthetheoryofimitation，whileasthemostprominentstude

2、ntofPlato，AristotlenotonlyinheritsbutalsodevelopsPlatostheoryofimitation.Platostheoryofimitationisdeeplyrootedinhistheoryofformswithstrongpoliticalorientation.ForPlato，thematerialworldisnotrealbutonlytheimage，theimitationofthereal；onthecontrary，formswhichcanonlybeperceivedbyphilosophersarethefundame

3、ntaltruth.PlatosUtopiaconsistsofthreeranks：governingphilosophykingswithreasoningpower，protectivesoldierswithstrongwill，andproductiveworkerswhoonlyhavedesires.Anythinghindersthegoverningrationalityisruinousandtherefore，dangerous.Thisstrongpoliticalorientationleadshimtoseparatetheidealized"truth&

4、quot;fromtheactualreality，andforgeshisspecialstandardforartintheperspectiveofpolitics.Meanwhile，AristotleinheritsfromPlatothatthecosmosisrationallydesignedandthatphilosopherscangrasptheabsolutetruthsbystudyinguniversalforms.Theirideasdiverge，however，inthatAristotlethoughtonefindstheuniversalinpartic

5、ular，whilePlatobelievedtheuniversalexistsapartfromtheparticular，andthatmaterialthingsareonlyashadowoftruereality，whichexistsintherealmofideasandforms.Yao，25ThefundamentaldifferencementionedaboveisthemajorbreakthroughmadebyAristotle，whichalsoreflectsinhisviewofimitation，i.e.，imitationisrootedinhumann

6、ature，andhasterminalvalueforitscreativity.Obviously，Aristotletendstojudgeimitationforitsownsake，underdetailedempiricalinvestigation.Generallyspeaking，AristotleagreeswithPlatosideaofimitation，butismoreobjectiveandcomprehensive.Asart，especiallyliteratureisthemajortopicinPlatosandAristotlesdiscussionab

7、outimitation，theiropinionsonartreflectstheirdistinguishedtheoryofimitation.Inregardtothenatureofart，AristotleagreeswithPlatothatartisimitation.Platosallegoryofthreebedsillustratesthatartonlyreproducesimage，whichisthriceremovedfromthetruth.“Theimitatorormakeroftheimageknowsnothing，wehavesaid，oftrueex

8、istence；heknowsappearancesonly.Yao，14ThoughmoreaffirmativeinThePoetics，Aristotleadmitsthat“EpicpoetryandTragedy，ComedyalsoandDithyrambicpoetry，andthemusicofthefluteandthelyreinmostoftheirforms，areallingeneralconceptionmodesofimitation.Yao，29Aristotlefurtheranalysesdifferentimitativeworksinthreemaina

9、reasthemedium，theobjectsandthemanner.basedonthedefinitionthat“objectsofimitationaremeninactionYao，30，Aristotledistinguishestragedyfromcomedy.ThisideacanbetracedbacktoPlatosRepublicthat“imitationimitatestheactionofmen，whethervoluntaryorinvoluntary，onwhich，astheyimagine，agoodorbadresulthasensued，andth

10、eyrejoiceorsorrowaccordingly.Yao，17endprintThemostoutstandingdevelopmentputforwardbyAristotleistheinstinctivepropertyofimitation.InIon，PlatoexplainstheoriginofimitationastheinspirationfromGod.“Forallgoodpoets，epicaswellaslyric，composetheirbeautifulpoemsnotbyart，butbecausetheyareinspiredandpossessed.

11、Plato，11Aristotleadmitsthe“strainofmadnessYao，46helpstocreateart，butdeclares“theinstinctofimitationisimplantedinmanfromchildhoodand“throughimitationmanlearnstheearliestlessons，which“givetheliveliestpleasurenotonlytophilosophersbuttomaningeneral；whosecapacity，however，oflearningismorelimited.Yao，31Sti

12、llAristotleacknowledgesthelimitedlearningcapacityofthecommonpeople，yetarguesthateveryonecanlearnabouttherealityandgainspleasurethroughimitation.ThisaudaciousideabreaksthroughPlatostheoryofimitation，inwhichimitationhasnothingtodowithhumannature，butisinspiredbyGodinsteadandonlylimitedtosomepeople.Furt

13、hermore，Platoconsidersimitationastheinferiordegreeoftruth，whichawakensandnourishestheinferiorpartofsoul，andbystrengtheningitimpairsthereason.Therefore，“theimitativepoetimplantsanevilconstitution，forhimindulgestheirrationalnatureYao，19：imitationwhichislifelikeisevenmoredangerous.Aristotleadmitsthatfu

14、ndamentally，artisimitation，yetinanothersense，heseesitsindependentvalueofcreation.InThePoeticsheadvocatesthelawofprobabilityornecessityasthemaindifferencebetweenliteratureandhistoricalrecords，andencouragesfictitiouscreationtomanageableextent.AccordingtoAristotle，“whilereproducingthedistinctiveformoft

15、heoriginal，artistmakesalikenesswhichistruetolifeandyetmorebeautiful.Yao，44Absurdityorirrationalelementscanbeveiledbythepoeticcharm.Inthecraftingofwordsandplot，literaryimitationhasitsterminalvalueasanindependentdiscipline.Platoworriesabouttheirrationaleffects，Aristotleinsteadallowsforprobableimpossib

16、ilitiesinimitation.AristotlesideatocreatelifelikerealitythroughimitationlaysthefoundationforRealism.Moreover，Aristotlepointsoutthat“thestandardofcorrectnessisnotthesameinpoetryandpolitics，andmoreinpoetryandanyotherart.Yao，57Theartistcanimitatethreeobjectsthingsastheywereorare，thingsastheyaresaidorth

17、oughttobe，orthingsastheyoughttobe.ThisargumentrefutesPlatosaccusationaboutpoetsimpracticalfunctioninrulingthecountryorresearching.Whatsmore，intheprincipleofimitationAristotledoesagreewithPlatothat下轉第64页上接第103页“unseemlinessYao，20doesharmtoart，andhefurtherclassifiesliteratureintosixmainelementstoillus

18、tratestheconceptoforganicunity.Excellentliteratureshouldomittheelementswhichbearsnonecessaryorprobableconnectiontothemainplot.Ontheotherhand，evenwhensomeirrationalelementsappearinthecomposition，imitationhastoremainconsistentlyinconsistenttoprotecttheoverallunity.FromPlatosimpliedideaofcohesion，Arist

19、otlestartsintomotiontheimitationconceptoforganicunity.endprintAccordingtoWhitehead，thehistoryofphilosophyisaseriesoffootnotestoPlato.However，AristotlesinheritanceanddevelopmentisindispensableforthetheoryofPlatotoliveuptothereputation.Theybothtakethetheoryofimitationasthebasisforartanalysis.Cao，185ForPlato，imitationisjustth