Aristotle and the humanities Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aristotle and the arts - Research Paper ExampleThe Greek philosopher Aristotle made contributions to the humanities through his ideas about art, as considerably as philosophy, specifically through his ideas regarding ethics and politics. When it came to art, Aristotles Poetics was an answer to Platos accusation against the artists for their alleged destruction of rational harmony, as stated in the Republic (Wolff 64). In the field of ethics, Aristotles Nichomachean Ethics provided the basis for showing how to live ones life in the virtuous way and helped people of his times take root on which things were more important in their lives and what they could do to make them better.Lastly, it is a fact that ancient Greece during Aristotles time was a period of confusion a time of war among city-states who fought for territorial expansion, a time for poverty and slavery, and a time when the nobility never shared their power with their constituents (Explore Greece). In sight to address the current situation and the pressing need for order, security and peace amidst the turmoil and disaster that had come out of Athenian democracy (Durant 80), Aristotle wrote his Politics. Aristotle is relevant to the humanities because his works helped address the aesthetic, ethical and political dilemmas surrounding the Greek society in the 4th century BC, and helped shaped the thinking of the Greeks during his time as well as that of the world at present. Aesthetics Poetics Aristotles rationale as to aesthetics is that art takes us closer to essential form, not farther outside(a) (Wolff 65). He performer here that through the study of art and through the study of the works of man, man himself is able to learn a great incubate not all about himself but also about his essence. Wolffs statement further implies that people who observe art, according to Aristotle, may just be observing certain specific things but through which, they can grasp the tangible nature of things. (65) T he Poetics also tells the reader about Aristotles theory of catharsis, which means that art has a psychologically healthy effect on the spectator (64). According to Wolff, this statement implies that art is an effective means of self-expression and one which brings not only wisdom but also release (64). However, these principles contradict those of Plato. In the Republic, Plato criticizes art as something that destroys the rational capacity of man and something that leads him away from the world of forms, which, according to Plato was the real world (64). However, Aristotle maintains that not only does art promote a healthy psychological make-up but that it also leads one to a realization of his essence. These teachings of Aristotle has remained right-hand not only to the Greeks of his time but even to the world at present, thus Aristotles relevance to the humanities. Ethics The Nichomachean Ethics Aristotles contributions to aesthetics cannot, however, represent those he gave eth ics. It is a fact that the ideas of right and wrong, of good and evil, and of morality itself can never be derived from scientific inquiry but only through the humanities, specifically through ethics. Aristotles glorious masterpiece on ethics, the Nichomachean Ethics, has provided people the guidelines on how to live a virtuous life since the time of 4th century BC Greece until now. In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle makes it clear that the good for man is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue or the best and to the highest degree perfect virtue (Aristotle, Nichomachean Ethics, I.7). This virtue, or moral virtue, that Aristotle has ascribed most of his ethical principles on is the submission of ones feelings and outward acts to reason (Kilcullen) since man, in the Aristotelian system, is a rational animal (Durant 59). The key words and so are rational and reason and it follows that one who abides by the dictates of his reason is one is who is virtuous. This simply m eans that if one does