Aristotle, Mimesis and Aesthetic Experience

Abstract

The paper deals with the issues of mimesis and aesthetic experience. It turns out that the aicent conflict between philosophy and poetry mentioned by Plato is, in fact, fictitious, since from Aristotle's point of view the highest philosophical cognition equals the most profound pleasure at the production in poety. Hence, poetry is equated to philosophy and it becomes a manifestation of he universal, represented according to the laws of the probalble and the possible. These are the two elements that aesthetic experience relies on; the experience which is only common on man, is overwhelming and man is reluctant to rid himself of that, it depends on the higer senses and gives pleasure in itself.