How Is "Artistic Socrates" Possible

In the history of Western philosophy,Plato was “the first one who provoked the dispute between poetry and philosophy” while his attitude to this dispute seems rather ambiguous.In the <Republic>,he depreciated the value of poetry and declared to” expel the poets from the Republic,however,he allowed the "philosopher" Socrates to make poem on his deathbed in the < Phaedo>.This leads to an important "puzzle" : how is "aesthetic Socrates" possible? The research on this topic is mainly focused on the perspective of philosophy or aesthetics,and less from the standpoint of education to interpret this issue.The study is to return to Plato's thought itself,trying to explain how he leave room for poetry in education when he at the same criticize the poetry and poet,and then reveal his hidden concern behind the "compromise."Based on this,the study would first explains Plato's critique of poetry and poet,and the educational room he had left for poetry from three levels: metaphysics,psychology and ethics.On the metaphysical level,Plato criticized the poet's sin of deceiving and preventing the soul from turning by constructing the threefold world.However,as a means of figurative education,poetic imitating can overcome the gap brought about by the abstractness of philosophy education.On the psychological level,Plato uses the distinction of the three parts and the four states of the soul to divide the poem into a low-lying position.However,in promoting the harmonious development of children,poetry has an irreplaceable role because of its characteristics.On the ethical level,Plato critiqued the ethical misconduct of poetry.While poetry can influence the second nature of human beings through the training of pleasure and pain,as well as the establishment of the “prototype” of goodness education.From the interpretation in three levels,it can be seen that Plato is mainly based on the considerations of children's nature and the education of the city-state,leaving poetry some room in the city-state to seek a compromise between poetry and philosophy.Further,the compromise shows that Plato had never abandon his pursuit of "truth" and on the other hand,he had to make necessary concessions for he did have respect for the tradition of poetry and sober awareness of the limitation of human's reason,the paradox of the "philosophical king" and the angerous situations philosophers were faced.Historically,Plato's thought of poetry education derived from the dispute between poetry and philosophy has far-reaching influence due to the open questions left by the form of dialogue and his concern for the holistic development of human beings(especially aesthetic education).Not only that,his thought of poetry education is in harmony with Confucius' s thought for they are all concerned about the human soul's integrity and ultimate aspiration.