Why is Tragedy Good for the Soul? Aristotle on the Tragic Emotions and katharsis (original) (raw)

chapter in the book: PATHE: THE LANGUAGE AND PHILOSOPHY OF EMOTIONS, ed. by Ljiljana Radenović, Dragana Dimitrijević and Il Akkad

In this paper, I will endeavor to point out that according to Aristotle tragedies are beneficial for a soul to a great degree. In the first section of the paper, I will elucidate his central thoughts on emotion in general, and pity and fear in particular. Subsequently, I will critically discuss, compare and contrast both ordinary and tragic fear and pity, as well as their interrelations as the defining features of the tragic genre. Additionally, I will argue that the fundamental cognitive components of pity and fear have an important impact on both Aristotle's understanding of tragic experience in general, and on one of his most controversial concepts, that of katharsis in particular. By discussing the various interpretative models in understanding katharsis, I will attempt to demonstrate why a kind of ethical perspective, which includes both emotions and cognition, is the best standpoint in accounting for tragic experience.