Theatre and morality: the platonic perspective on contemporary objections to ethical criticism

Abstract

The present work aims to explain Plato's criticisms of imitative arts in book X of The Republic and to respond, from his perspective, to contemporary objections to the ethical criticism of aesthetics. To achieve these objectives, the article is structured into three parts. First, it presents Plato’s four criticisms of art: ontological, epistemological, psychological, and ethical-political. Second, it outlines three arguments against the ethical criticism of aesthetics: the autonomist argument, the cognitive triviality argument, and the anti-consequentialist argument. These arguments are then addressed through Plato’s critique of art. Finally, the article concludes by demonstrating the relevance of Platonic thought to this issue and proposing a possible practical application of the philosophical reflection: the establishment of philosophical and ethical criteria in public subsidies for theater to ensure a committed form of art.