Blog Prompt 5: What is the difference between “beds in the world” and “the idea of a bed?” Where does “art” fit into his hierarchical scheme of reality? Plato criticizes art for being “deceptive.” How does art deceive us, according to Plato? Do you agree with this criticism?

Plato implies that all ideas are not original, but rather stemmed from inspiration. He uses beds as an example to illustrate this concept. Plato describes “beds in the world” to be the original form of what a bed is, and the “idea of a bed” to be the imitation of what a bed could be. Based on Plato’s belief, it can be said that everything we know or do is based upon the original source. Advice we give is not advice we’ve taught ourselves, it is words we’ve heard over and over again, time and time again.

Plato applies an hierarchical system to the order in which the initial item occurs, to the ideas that take place. He also inserts art into this system.

“And there is another artist, –I should like to know what you would say of him…“

“… And the painter too is, as I conceive, just such another –a creator of appearances, is he not?“

“Of course.
But then I suppose you will say that what he creates is untrue. And yet there is a sense in which the painter also creates a bed?”

“…Well then, here are three beds: one existing in nature, which is made by God, as I think that we may say –for no one else can be the maker?”

Plato considers the original form of an item or idea to be that which God created, and everything else that follows is nothing but an untrue remodeling. God creates an object (the original from), a workman physically constructs the object to real life, and then an artist paints this illusion of the object, and Plato believes that for this reason art has no form of originality.

According to Plato, art is deceptive because it is based on surface level truths and nothing deeper. He suggests that artists only capture the subject itself and care nothing more for the meaning behind their illustrations. Such as, an artist who comes across a beautiful orchard and wants to record the beauty of the place down on paper, only to leave after he is done and know nothing about the origin of the place itself. In this way art is deceptive in the eyes of Plato, as the viewer of this piece may believe that the artist had intentions, however, unknowing that the artist could’ve cared less.

I most definitely see where Plato is coming from with his idea that art of deceptive. But, he himself unknowingly assumes that all art is deceptive. Art may be deceptive in terms that perhaps art itself is not original since all ideas come from inspiration, however, not all artists paint without purpose. Art with a purpose is not deceptive. Art is used for a variety of purposes such as psychological, informative, and educational purposes. Comics are considered a form of art which can be used for politics and real-world situations. Therefore, I would say that art is not deceptive in all its forms, as Plato suggests.

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