The Bed, the User, the Maker, and the Imitator. Considerations on Plato's Ontological-Epistemic Critique of Traditional Poetry in Republic X
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine the place that the kind of poet envisioned by Plato for the ideal polis of the Republic should occupy from an ontological and epistemic perspective. To this end, taking as a point of departure the distinction drawn in Book X between the second and third ontological-epistemic grades —particularly in the arguments concerning beds and concerning use, manufacture, and imitation—, I argue that Plato seeks to outline and prescribe a paradigm of a second-grade poet. Unlike the mere appearance of knowledge characteristic of the imitator —the traditional poet situated at the third grade—, this second-grade poet would possess right opinion about what he imitates, grounded in the knowledge supplied by the user (the philosopher). This approach, I suggest, allow us to discern a possible solution to the problem of the ontological and epistemic status that Plato assigns to the poet in the ideal polis, with a view to fostering a form of poetry that is austere and beneficial.
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