In Book II of The Republic, Plato begins a discussion of poetry which is concerned with gods and heroes. He condemns much of this poetry as lies, "and still further because their lies are not attractive" (Republic, II, p24). Many stories, Plato is saying, are not imitations of any reality but are outright falsities, on the grounds that since gods and heroes are by definition better than men, they cannot perform such atrocious acts as shown for example in Homer and Aeschylus (the examples in Republic 26-29). ... Imitation proper appears in the Republic in Book III, where Plato be...

• Word Count: 5585
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Philosophers, for example Plato, were believers in Physis. ... Plato agrees with Parmenides in many ways. ... In this sense, Plato is too a rationalist (122). ... Parmenides started rationalism and Plato continued with his theme. ... Plato also agrees with Heraclitus, "about the world revealed to us through our senses (122)." ...

• Word Count: 3636
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School