Proclus’ Notion of Poetry

Abstract

The aims of my chapter are twofold. First, I will offer an overview of Proclus’ theory of poetry and how humans experience its affective power. Second, I will discuss his views from the point of view of modemn aesthetics. From the historical point of view aesthetics has usually been divided into two principal domains — the philosophy of beauty and the philosophy of art. My focus is on the latter domain, the philosophy of art, though for the sake of economy I usually use the term aesthetics. I ask whether Proclus’ theory of poetry represents autonomous or heteronomous aesthetics.1 As a background to my discussion, I begin by drawing attention to some general facts about aesthetics and its history, which is the proper perspective from which to evaluate Produs’ place in its history.