Greek Philosophy: Plato’s Doctrine
of Forms, I
The universals have an ontological status.
The universal concepts are not merely
subjective concepts, but in them we
apprehend objective essences.
The universal concepts are objective Ideas
or subsistent Universals, existing in a
transcendental world of their own apart
from sensible things. Sensible things are
copies or participations in these universal
realities.
Greek Philosophy: Plato’s Doctrine
of Forms, II
In Timaeus Plato clearly teaches that God
or the Demiurge creates the things of this
world according to the model of the Forms
or Ideas. This implies that Ideas exist apart
not only from the sensible things but also
from God, who takes them as His model in
his creation.
According to Plato Forms are Numbers
Greek Philosophy: Plato’s Theory of
Art
In its metaphysical aspects or its essence,
art is imitation (mimesis). The form is
exemplary, archetypal; the natural object is
an instance of it. Now the painting of a man
is a copy or imitation of a natural, particular
man. The painting is therefore an imitation
of an imitation, twice removed from the
Truth.
In his Republic, Plat talks in detail about his
theory of art.
Greek Philosophy: Aristotle
Aristotle rejected the world of the Forms
(the world of Ideas) because he believed
that Form and Matter were inseparable.
Aristotle devised a down to earth ethical
goal that he called “happiness”. In his
book, The Nicomachean Ethics, he argues
that to achieve happiness, one needs to
strike a balance (the Golden Mean)
between extremes of behavior.
Aristotle and Homer
Architecture and Sculpture during
the Hellenic Age
Continuation of archaic Doric style
Evolution of Ionic style
Continued interest in proportion,
balance, harmony and order
Both the Doric and Ionic style of
architecture can be seen In the
Parthenon
Hellenic Architecture: Parthenon
447-438 BCE
Planned by two architects: Ictinus
and Callicrates
The ceremonial center of Athens
A major tourist attraction in Greece
2 purposes: Temple to Athena and
treasury of the Delion League
Combines Doric and Ionic features
Hellenic Architecture: Erechtheum
c. 410 BCE
The best example of Ionic style
Asymmetrical
More showy and elaborate
A kind of triple shrine, dedicated to
Athena, Poseidon, and a mythical
king (Erechtheus)
Porch of Maidens (75)
Hellenic Sculpture
Emphasis on idealized beauty of the
human body
A “controlled beauty”: Hellenic sculpture
emphasized thought, control and balance
Idealized proportions and facial features
3 periods:
Severe style (early-mid 400s)
High Classical style (mid –late 400s)
Fourth Century style (300s)
Hellenic Sculpture: Kritos Boy
Kritios Boy, c. 480 (severe style)(76)
Perhaps a late or evolved form of the
archaic kouros (49)
Idealized body and face
Naturalistic stance: contrapposto
(a posture that places the body’s
weight on one leg and uses the other
leg as a support)(79)
Hellenic Sculpture: Doryphoros, c.
440
The physical proportions of the
Doryphoros were so widely admired
that the sculpture came to be
regarded as a set of rules (or canon)
for other artists to follow.
The ideal of balanced calm and
repose.
Page 79
Doryphoros
Hellenic Sculpture: Hermes with the
Infant Dionysus, c. 350-40
Hermes with the Infant Dionysus is made
by Praxiteles.
Contrapposto now exaggerated, leading
toward sensuality. This exaggerated
contrapposto was called Praxitelean
curve and was widely imitated.
Some warmth and emotional content, a
hint of the changes to come in the
Hellenistic period.