The Problem of Literary Truth in Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Poetics

Abstract

In contemporary literary theory, Plato is often cited as the original repudiator of literary truth, and Aristotle as he who set down that literature is “imitation,” thus himself involuntarily banning literature from truth. This essay argues that these interpretations adulterate the original arguments of Plato and Aristotle, who both believed in literary truth. We—literary theorists and philosophers of literature—should recognize this and rethink our interpretation of these ancient texts. This will, in turn, lead us to ask better questions about the nature of literary truth and value.

How Can Martial Artists Draw Upon Pope John Paul II’s Lectures on Theology of the Body to Inform Their Practice?

“…What we learn from TOB is that human interaction requires standard ethical reasoning and if we can conceptualize martial arts being an expression of human connection, Wojtyla reminds us to mirror the mysteries of truth and love. Literary philosopher Paolo Pitari (2021) argues that mimesis can be used through an embodied practice such as martial arts as pedagogy and that this practice of mirroring others is deeply connected to the meliorative dimensions of imagination. In this sense, mimesis cooperates with imagination, through play, to reveal fundamental truths about human connection.…”

In Defense of Literary Truth: A Response to Truth, Fiction, and Literature by Peter Lamarque and Stein Haugom Olsen to Inquire into No-Truth Theories of Literature, Pragmatism, and the Ontology of Fictional Objects

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