An old quarrel between philosophy and poetry that can be traced back to Plato’s Republic, in which Socrates exiles the poets from the city, reminds us that poetry can be both an important and a dangerous activity.
In reflecting on historical clashes between philosophical comprehensive world-views and poetry and rhetoric, we will embark on an exciting journey in a search of a hidden and deeper affinities between philosophy and poetry with the aim of broadening our understanding of their unique aims and purposes but also of their interconnectedness.
What can philosophers learn from the poetic use of language? How about T. S. Elliot’s ironic remark that philosophy is an unloved guest in the company of real art and real science? Is Roger Scruton right in claiming that the essence of poetry is the finding of truth? And what is the epistemic and moral significance of the kind of emotional and imaginative experience poetry offers? By looking at what philosophers have to say about poetry, we will sharpen our critical engagement with poems, inquiring about what it means to take poetry seriously enough, and how poetry and philosophy can be mutually enriching while recognising the others’ capacity for integrity.
When we hear a good poem, we get typically emotionally moved; we can release emotions that are arguably better regulated by reason, and we can sometimes become captive to them in real life. One example may be Robert Frost’s The Road not Taken.
We will also engage in a lively discussion about they way in which people continue to be deeply affected by poetry and how a good poem may help to positively shape our self-knowledge and the knowledge about the world around us.