The Solutions Proposed by Plato and Nietzsche to Problems of Aesthetics- A Comparative Study

Abstract

In history of western philosophy, Plato is considered as a great figure and some scholars argue that western civilization and culture much owe Plato to his richest contribution to western thoughts. German philosopher, Nietzsche is second to none and he is considered as a pioneer of post modernism. Both the philosophers have a profound influence on people and thoughts of the west. Greek aesthetics takes a different shape in the hands of Plato and he creates an immortal aesthetics for many millenniums to come. For Plato, works of art are mere illuglons created by artists. Artists create copy of the copy and works of art are shadows of the original ideas. Artists with ignorance create works of art and bring harmfulness to soul by persuading lower part of soul, emotional part. The philosophers who are possessed of wisdom know true beauty in the world of ideas. Nietzsche opines that Greek and Christian-aesthetics " greater extent, have damaged the souls of western world. Plato as well as Nietzsche 'agree the point that to justify pain and suffering of this world, works of art are created by Artists. Nietzsche believes that the two mechanisms (transformative a2d interpretative processes) proposed by him make perfect personalities in modern world and he also believes that mature aesthetics would create perfect and self-sufficient souls comparing in traditional Greek and Christian aesthetics. Plato tries to find the solutions to this problem which goes beyond this sense experienced world but the solutions of Nietzsche to this problem are given within limits of this world. This paper attempts to review the solutions proposed by Plato and Nietzsche to the problems of Aesthetics