On Paula's Imitation Theory

"Imitation" is the translation of Greek mimicry (so this theory is called "representative theory of art"). Imitation is sometimes translated as "representation" (so this theory is also called "artistic representation theory"). Before the rise of romanticism, it has always been dominant in art theory. If the general situation of Greek literature and art is compared to the landscape of competing peaks, then Plato and Aristotle undoubtedly represent the abrupt twin peaks. "Representative Theory" is a popular view in early ancient Greece, which studies the relationship between literature and reality, that is, the theory that literature and art reflect real life. Its main representatives are Plato and Aristotle. From Socrates to Plato and Aristotle, the "representative theory" has become comprehensive and complete. Aristotle's "representative theory" is formed on the basis of inheriting and developing Plato's viewpoint, which is more materialistic, but their views on "representative theory" are different. First of all, their philosophical basis is different: Plato's "representative theory" belongs to objective idealism, and "idea" is the basis of Plato's philosophical system. The so-called "rational style" is actually another name for God. He believes that the source of literature and art is not social life but the spirit of God. Literary creation is not a rational thinking activity, but an artist's blind impulse driven by God. In Plato's view, "rationality" is the origin of the world, reality is the shadow of "idea", and art is an imitation of the real world. Therefore, art is divorced from reality twice, and it is just a "shadow shadow". Plato admits that art is based on the world and imitates the real world, but Plato does not think that the real world is a real existence, but a rational imitation. Plato's aristocratic status doomed him to stand on the side of the aristocratic class, which will undoubtedly be shown in his literary and artistic thoughts. He hoped that literature and art would serve the aristocratic ruling class, oppose realism and deny the authenticity of literature and art, so his "representative theory" had a certain political color. Plato's view of literature and art is based on objective idealism, and holds that the illusory world determines that the imitation of the real world is also illusory. In his view, the perceptual world is real, and the real world is a copy of the perceptual world. As a replica of the real world, art is naturally farther away from the realistic perceptual world and is a "replica of a replica". Of course, there is no truth at all. Another viewpoint of Plato is "memory". He believes that the acquisition of inspiration is a complete soul. "When you see the world, you will recall the true beauty of the upper world." Aristotle effectively criticized and inherited the predecessors' theories and put forward the most valuable thought about the essence of literature and art in the western classical era. Aristotle and Plato's idealistic philosophy system based on "idea" is opposite. Aristotle affirmed that concrete things are "the first entity" and the authenticity of art, and he further proved that art is more real than concrete individual things, and art can reveal the essence and laws of things, thus correcting Plato's view that art is fiction. He was the first to propose that imitation is creative and an imitation of life. Secondly, they also have different views on the extension of imitation: Plato's "imitation" does not include praise, and he calls praise and heroic ode "non-imitation art", but Aristotle thinks that all art is imitation. Third, they have different views on imitators: Plato thinks that imitators can't judge beauty and ugliness, and he thinks that the soul stone of imitators is irrational. It is created not by wisdom but by the power of God, and the creator knows nothing about what he imitates. This includes Plato's "inspiration theory", which mainly includes four parts: the source-beauty itself and the God who embodies it; Way-the gods echo the memory of the soul; Performance-ecstasy; The result-the work of the poetic god. The imitator's soul is irrational. Plato believes that there are three technologies related to transactions: user's technology; Manufacturer's technology and imitator's technology. Among them, regarding the knowledge and experience of artifacts, the users of artifacts have the most say, and what artists do as imitators is not true. At the same time, he put forward severe cultural countermeasures: expelling the poet and legalizing literature and art. He thought that poetry and tragedy are imitations, which are untrue, contain no true knowledge and have no truth value, so he came to the conclusion that literature and art are not as good as imitations, so the poet was exiled. Aristotle believes that artists' imitation of nature and life is not passive but creative. He thinks that since poets, painters and other plastic arts are imitators, he must imitate the following three objects: things that existed in the past or now; That is, to "reproduce" what is legendary or people believe; There are both "performance" and "should be", that is, "the unity of reproduction and performance". This is what Aristotle admired, and he even defended the phenomena that did not exist in the reality created by artists. He emphasizes the dynamic role of artistic subject, and artistic creation depends on the creator, not the object of creation. Finally, they have different views on imitation works: Plato thinks that imitation works are inferior, catering to the irrational part of the public soul, catering to the irrational necessity to stifle rationality, and making people fall into animal natural impulses. For example, rational people should be restrained and calm when they encounter misfortune, but tragedy makes the characters cry and beat their chests. In this way, even cultivated people will be infected, so works of art are a poison to people's minds. Different from Plato, Aristotle believes that literary works contain a lot of knowledge and literary imitation is also creative. He believes that knowledge can be divided into three categories, and the third category is creative knowledge, including poetics and rhetoric. Aristotle also put forward specific requirements for literary and artistic works: he thinks that the most important thing in tragedy is that the plot is consistent with the characters, and the characters are authentic and trustworthy, which conforms to the principle of three unifications, that is, the plot; Hair in the same place; in the day