The Function of Catharsis in Ethical-Aesthetic Experience
Notes on Aristotle’s Poetics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47456/sofia.v15i2.52647Keywords:
Aristotle, tragedy, Catarsis, MimesisAbstract
This article investigates the status of tragedy in Aristotle’s Poetics, taking as its central axis the relationship between mimesis, action, and catharsis as foundations of an ethical-aesthetic experience. The study is grounded on the hypothesis that Aristotelian tragedy is not limited to the mere imitation of reality, but rather constitutes a privileged form of representing human action, capable of eliciting in the spectator processes of recognition and affective elaboration, thereby allowing for an interpretation of ethical and formative scope. First, the notion of mimesis is examined in connection with the centrality of plot and tragic action. Next, the concept of catharsis is analyzed through its principal historical interpretations, especially as purification, purgation, and clarification of the emotions. Finally, the formative function of tragic experience is investigated, understanding catharsis not merely as an aesthetic experience, but as a possibility for the reordering of passions and the ethical constitution of the spectator.
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