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History of Literary Theory I

Ancient Poetics: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine

This section of Literary Theory I opts for depth rather than breadth.  Instead of surveying twenty-two centuries of literary theory, we will immerse ourselves in the thinking of three important ancient philosophers: Plato (428-348 B.C.), Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), and Saint Augustine (354-430 A.D.).  The course will focus on each philosopher’s approach to the theory of mimesis, which deals with the various ways in which poetry (for Augustine, a category that includes the texts of the Bible) represents reality.  Depending on the philosopher under consideration, the reality that poetry brings into view can be anything from nature to human action to the divine.  Since these thinkers have different ideas about what makes God, nature, and human ethics tick, we will study each philosopher’s theory of poetic representation in relation to the broader concerns of his philosophy.  As we move through the semester, we will also build connections among the philosophers themselves, paying special attention to the way Aristotle’s views on poetic representation and metaphysics depart from those of Plato, his teacher, and to the way Augustine’s distinctively Christian thought is influenced by basic principles of Platonic philosophy.  To these ends, our readings will include Plato’s Ion and generous selections from his Republic and Timaeus, Aristotle’s Poetics and selections from his De Anima, Metaphysics, and Nichomachean Ethics, and selections from Augustine’s On Christian Teaching, On Music, and Confessions.  Each class meeting will include a lecture aimed at elucidating the readings, often with vivid examples from ancient and modern poetry—and we’ll set aside plenty of time each day for questions and discussion.  No knowledge of philosophy is required, but students are expected to read carefully and to think deeply about the issues at hand. Writing requirements are six short response papers (1-2 pages each) and a longer final essay (12-15 pages).