Question

What is the prominent difference between Plato's and Aristotle's perspectives on literature?

Answer 1

For Plato literature means politics, for Aristotle literature is science. The significance of the previously stated hypotheses centers on an academic effort to advance a single perspective to the two renowned texts in literary history and theory known as, The Republic and Poetics (by Plato and Aristotle respectively). It suggests that the two eminent literary theorists have, to a great extent, different perceptions concerning what literature means. Plato's conception of literature as politics highlights his perception of the inherent ambivalent capacity of literature to instill on its audience unpredictable and incredulously skeptical assumptions towards issues and situations. On the other hand, literature could be likened to science in Aristotle's estimation because it follows certain concrete, definable, procedures in its overall assessment.

To sum up we can say that Plato saw literature as politics, while Aristotle visualized it as science.