Philosophy and aesthetics of violence

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Philosophy and aesthetics of violence
The aesthetics of violence both in mass media and in high culture art can be used to depict violence in what some sections of authors refer to as a "significant and sustained way" or "stylistically excessive" (Hoffman 124). Thus in circumstances when violence is portrayed in this fashion in a wider range of art works such as television shows, films, and other media, then the members of the audience will be in a position to connect references from the signs and images of the play to artworks, cultural symbols, genre conventions, or concepts (Chouliaraki 262). However, aesthetics may seem as the science of beauty or the science of art which does not have any relation to violence. Besides I think it is right to evaluate the role of aesthetics in violence by examining the interrelation which exists between aesthetics and violence both in modern and historical scenes (Bersani and Ulysse 67). This is mainly because it can be seen that aesthetics and violence interconnection has not only been close historically, but also there are also other ways through which they are interconnected either through culture or art hence there has been an inter-dependence between the two (Chouliaraki 265).
However, the astounding philosopher Plato from his ideal republic proposed banning of poets since he feared that they had aesthetic ability of constructing attractive narratives concerning immoral behavior and habits that would greatly contribute to corrupting of the young minds (Girard 87). Plato also emphasized on the interconnectedness of the art anesthetics to violence by reiterating on their influence on people. Hence he believed any art work including poetry that was not regulated by philosophy posed a threat to soul as well as heightening cases of violence in the community (Bersani and Ulysse 69). Therefore, Plato was warning about the ability of tragic poetry and art work to produce disordered psychic regime as a result of inducing a critical, dream-like state in which we may get lost in the accompanying grief, anger, sorrow and resentment. Thus Plato was arguing that the anesthetics things that goes on in our homes, fantasy lives or theaters, are highly connected to our day-to-day activities in real life (Girard 77).
Plato’s arguments are echoed by Aristotle, another great philosopher, Aristotle advocated for the role of anesthetics through drama, music, and tragedy interconnectedness to violence through the ways in which they purge people to their negative emotions (Siebers 2). Towards the end of his Politics Aristotle mentions catharsis by noting that after people are exposed to certain aesthetics materials such as listening to music that leads to eliciting of fear and pity, then these people are liable of becoming possessed by such negative emotions that are elicited (Chouliaraki 262).
However, when historical and cultural perspective of philosophy and aesthetics of violence are considered a clear picture is drawn. For instance, in such ancient culture monuments including the Upanisads, Iliad, as well as others there is glorification of heroes such as Achilles, Ingra and many others respectively mainly because of their heroic deeds. This is because Achilles was the “killer of Hector”, also regarded as the hero of the Trojan War, as well as the victim of Paris; while Ingra was the killer of Vritra as well as the destroyer of numerous numbers of fortresses also regarded as the “emperor of the Universe.” This implies that ancient art and other forms of aesthetics glorified “heroes” on the basis of their feats in wars and battles (Gans 162). Hence the more enemies these heroes destroyed and the cities and fortresses they ruined, then this meant they would have greater feat and glory.
Philosophy has also been instrumental in violence and both are closely interconnected meaning that violence play an essential role in philosophy. For instance, to found philosophy, to name philosophy, there must be something designated as the other. Therefore, if the other philosophy is termed to be the violence, the philosophy must repress (and represent) violence (Bersani and Ulysse 132). However, I have to make it clear that philosophy represses (and represents) violence in a certain particular way in form of an idea but not a phenomenon (Girard 82).
Therefore, in various occasions the idea of violence seems ...