o Plato’s concept of “forms” or “ideas” is introduced beginning at paragraph 16. What is the difference between “beds in the world” and “the idea of a bed.” Where does “art” fit into his hierarchical scheme of reality?
o Plato criticizes art for being “deceptive.” How does art deceive us, according to Plato? Do you agree with this criticism?
Plato in his writing discusses how poets and artists are imitators, corrupt good and create images extremely far removed from the actual truth. Plato gives the example of the creator, the maker, and the imatator of a bed. God is the creator, he made the bed in nature and there is none other like it. Then there is the particular maker who makes a particular bed. While he is not the creator he is still making a bed and is only once removed from the truth which would be the creation of the bed. Then there is the imitator or the artist who may paint the bed. This imitator is 3 times removed from the creation of the bed, he paints a picture of the bed but does not actually have any knowledge on how to make a bed. He can paint the bed from many different angles but in reality the bed is the same in actual reality so it is only different in appearance and is giving false information on what the bed is.
In his writing Plato says “Then the imitator, I said, is a long way off the truth, and can do all things because he lightly touches on a small part of them, and that part an image. For example: A painter will paint a cobbler, carpenter, or any other artist, though he knows nothing of their arts; and, if he is a good artist, he may deceive children or simple persons, when he shows them his picture of a carpenter from a distance, and they will fancy that they are looking at a real carpenter.” Paintings are deception and false representations of what things really are. A master of an art knows much or all of the different parts of their trade. An engineer can draw schematics and then instruct people on how to properly build the bridge, a general long studied and tested by fire in battle can give direction to those under him on how to most successfully wage war. The painter and or the poet can write songs about war they can write beautifully put together words and paint pictures of a bridge or the glory of a battle but do they actually have the personal knowledge of becoming an expert in that field? No they do not. They as Plato says can fool the common man and child because they too lack knowledge in those fields and are only harming society. On this matter I agree with Plato because when you don’t know something and someone gives you information on it whether they actually know about it or not people tend to believe them. And so for that I would say that Plato is saying that those that play to the ignorance of others are wrong because you are only misleading those around you.
Plato also describes how the soul is immortal. And begins to discuss the just and unjust and things that make a person fall into these categories. He gives a story of a warrior named Er who dies and goes into the after life those that were just go to heaven and those that were unjust go into damnation. But past that he focuses on the just who get to pick a new life for themselves. They do this based on their life experience to pick a life that will be pleasing to them. The moral I believe Plato is trying to get across in this story is we as people are responsible for our just or unjust souls our decisions are our own and if they are based on not finding out information then it our own fault and in turn finding answers and gaining wisdom on things is the answer to leading a just life.
bryanhorsting 