The Ancient Quarrel Between Poetry and Philosophy

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Exploring the tension between tragedy and philosophy, Thomas Gould delves into the moral objections raised by Plato regarding the depiction of suffering and injustice. He argues for the psychological necessity of violence in literature and art, distinguishing between sympathetic representations of victims and those that evoke empathy for perpetrators. Gould posits that the former enriches our understanding of true tragedy, religious narratives, and political expressions, highlighting the complex interplay between our emotional responses and the nature of suffering in storytelling.