Literature is essential to society as the works of literature are said to be the imitation of the reality of life and nature. A fraction of the population of the world possibly thinks that the actions of literature are harmful to the life of is its readers as another fraction perhaps think otherwise. Literature is used to pass information moral virtue to its readers; however, an in-depth analysis of the literature shows that it can have negative impacts on its readers. Interpretation of the message and information in the literary works is a determinant to whether the effects of literature to its readers are positive or negative. In this case, we can conclude that readers of literature have different views and opinions to the information and message passed on by the works of literature. People and society often shape their lives through literature since they grow up and mature by reading and observing different works of literature. Following the research of great philosophers ever done, it can, therefore, be concluded that literature can positively or negatively affect an individual in their moral life, political life, social life, and emotionally.
Aristotle was a great philosophist who was a product from Plato’s classes and a teacher of Alexander the Great. The works of literature of Aristotle is purely realistic and practical with an inductive viewpoint in human life as compared to his teacher, Plato, whose works were based on his ideas with a deductive perspective. In this case, although Plato was Aristotle teacher, it is evident that the two have different opinions on the way they view literature. However, Plato and Aristotle have portrayed some similarities at some point when defining literature.
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Literature, as an imitation of life and nature, is morally and politically beneficial to its readers and observers. Through the work of literature, positive change is constant as it is portrayed in individuals and society at large. Following the literature works, Aristotle focus is on the form of literature other than the object of the literature as Plato did. Aristotle argues that all kind of poetry is the artistic representation of nature and human behavior in a simple manner.
Literature is meant to enhance education and teaching as it is the most effective way to pass information. According to Poetics IV, Aristotle argues that humans obtain their first knowledge through imitation, and they find pleasure in it. In this case, it can be said that humans are very imitative, and therefore, their life and emotions can easily be shaped after reading and observing literature. Literature was long ago used by ancestors to enhance teaching; however, the ancient literature was oral literature. All the same, similarities are portrayed, and we can see that literature enhances teaching as information is portrayed in an objective manner which conveys the right message intended to be passed on. Aristotle says that literature is used to teach as well as warn showing the results and consequences of bad deeds. In this case, students and readers receive the information in a manner that they do not feel offended. Therefore, information is conveyed in a simple way that can be understood by different levels of human or in different ages. As much as literature has its negative impacts, the positive effects of these works outweigh the negative, therefore, literature can be said to be beneficial to its readers and observers.
On the other hand, Plato does not support the fact that literature is beneficial to its readers and observers. He describes literature as a form of destruction in individuals and society at large. This argument is based on his ideas that poets use imitations of objects, nature, and human behavior ineffectively. In this case, he says that literature is most harmful and damaging to the shaping of human life, especially children who are not stable in their emotions 1 . Literature that has scary and fearful stories have a negative impact on children as they introduce long-lasting detrimental consequences in their lives. He further says that children have weak emotions and feelings, and if added to literature that portrays strong negative deep emotions, they will develop fear and lose courage in their lives.
Plato argues that most imitations the poets use are based on lies and are not realistic in human life 2 . Considering the examples he gave in the book of Republic, gods and heroes are given an evil character in literature. He goes ahead and says that gods and heroes and portrayed to be better than men. Therefore, they cannot do such awful and abominable acts. In this case, the portrayals seen in examples in Homer and Aeschylus in the book of Republic acts as a justification for men to commit such acts. Therefore, individuals imitate the characters of the god and heroes portrayed in literature and these acts are nurtured throughout their growth period and in the long term affecting the society negatively.
Plato further explains that it may be found out the characters in a poetry or literature lie, cheat, deceive, and enjoy the suffering of other people. Therefore this spoils the society as it teaches immorality, evil, and bad manner as portrayed in literature and therefore dangerous to the society. In this case, it is shown that Plato views literature in a negative way of teaching negative behaviors to the community. However, this can be interpreted as teaching and warning to society outlining the consequences of these wicked deeds.
Martha Nussbaum, a philosophist, also believes that literature is a critical aspect in individual life as it brings happiness and flourishes human life. Literature that consists of story-telling is a significant influence in an individual public life. Story-telling and fictional books play a central role in expanding individual emotions and empathy 3 . Nussbaum observed that human beings have strong feelings of dislikes, and they have put into use these feelings of dislikes to hurt other people feelings. Such constructs of disgusts have been deployed to deny the full humanity of marginalized individuals resulting in taboos being constructed in specific life issues such as menstruation and sexuality. In this case, Nussbaum believes that empathy should be addressed in society and the best tool and way to solve this is by the use of literature. Therefore, since human beings are very imitative as told earlier, literature plays the best role in enhancing empathy through the imitation of social behaviors in society.
Literature plays a huge role in enhancing the emotions of an individual. Literature tends to increase the richness of our emotions life. Moreover, we acquire more knowledge as certain knowledge are available to us when we experience certain emotions such as love. Love and knowledge have a reciprocal relationship mirrored in our lives. In this case, it can be said that people hang around more often or spend much more time with the people they love. On the other hand, we love people more when we have adequate knowledge about them and their lives. Therefore considering this case, fictional literature plays a significant role in bringing interactions between human beings and their emotions. This is explained by the fact that literary works have some feelings in it, and human beings can be able to view their life using emotions included.
Nussbaum does not agree with Plato’s description of emotions in literature works. Literature nourishes and nurtures human beings emotions; therefore, it encourages empathy and understanding, and toleration among human beings in society 4 . Due to the love captured in fictional novels and books, human beings may tend to imitate the characters in the story portraying love nurturing this imitated character throughout their lives. In the end, the results and consequences of the imitated character from the fictional books and novels positively affect society, and this positive outcome is transferred from one person to the other.
Literature positively affects human beings cognitive aspect of life. Since human beings are very imitative, their personality is built on the basis of literature 5 . Fictional novels and books portray characters with a particular personality an individual will desire. Reading throughout the story and books, individuals tend to master the desired characters and behavior of good traits. The learned behavior and attitude will then be imitated in their lives interfering with the personality he had before. Because he or she wants to be like the character in the novel and book and taking a close look at the rewarding results and consequences, he will imitate the specific or related behavior. Through literature, there is a huge possibility that a person’s lousy personality can be changed to the better, therefore, bringing positive change in an individual or society at large.
Despite literature enhancing education, it gives an opportunity for individuals to find contentment and gratification. During an individual’s leisure time, he or she will often engage in different forms of literature such as useful arts or the crafts and the fine arts which include painting and poetry. When an individual leisure time is occupied by activities such as literature, there is no or limited time to engage in immoral behavior in the society such as drug abuse and stealing. As we all know an idle mind is a devil workshop, the idleness of young people in the society can be discouraged by creating activities that include literature works in it. Moreover these activities that include especially the fiction literature will be attractive to the young people causing them to be more engaging since young people love literature that engages their emotions. In addition, besides having a good time, young people has something positive they get to learn at the end.
Aristotle says that generally art brings to a completion what nature could not do and imitates it. This is where young people finds pleasure as literature involves being creative and imaginative 6 . Useful arts complete nature by supplying her with her deficiency in the sense that they move further along the teleological chain to realize an end. On the other hand, fine arts imitates nature in the sense that they do not complete her but rather imitates the teleological processes nature moves towards a specific end. In The Poetics , Aristotle describes that tragedy is an imitation not of men but rather of actions and life 7 . Moreover, imitators imitate men who are doing something useful therefore the objects are simply the actions of men and poets can choose to imitate men better or worse than they are or still how they are. In this case, poets have the power to be imitative and creative in real or imagined life events. However, Ploto disagrees with this as he says that human beings have deficit knowledge of what they can imitate justifying that men lie in literature due to their scarcity of knowledge. Therefore it is clear that literature gives man the opportunity to be creative in his own way which expounds the mind and mindset of an individual.
In conclusion, it can be said that different men have different points of views when it comes to literature. They can see literature works as a threat to human life or beneficial to human life. Despite this differences looking at the experiences of human beings in respect to literature, it can be said that literature plays a huge role in the growth of an individual or the society at large. Literature brings about positive change in the society and its users due to the lessons literature has to teach. It is known that change is a constant process in an individual’s life and in society and one cannot escape away from it.
However, one should be careful in the direction change is pointing to as each individual has the ability to choose whether the change will be positive or have a negative impact in his life. To be in a position to select the right choice, an individual must be able to interpret literature works in a positive way. In this case, an individual should look at the end result or consequences of the portrayed characters in any form of literature rather than the exact characters being portrayed. Therefore an individual may choose to imitate the behaviors and personality of the characters on poets, novels or books if the consequences are positive. Moreover imitation of the opposite behavior or personality of characters can be done if the consequences are negative.
Bibliography
Halliwell, Stephen. The poetics of Aristotle . Chapel Hill, CA: The University of Northern Carolina Press, n.d.
Nehamas, Alexander (Trans.). Plato and the mass media . Unidentified publisher, n.d.
Nussbaum, Martha C. Poetic Justice: The Literary Imagination and Public Life .Boston: Beacon press, n.d.
