Plato wanted to banish poets from his ideal city
Ancient philosopher Plato advocated banishing poets from his ideal society, believing their art corrupted citizens by appealing to emotions over reason, threatening his envisioned social order.
Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, in his influential work 'The Republic' (around 375 BCE), proposed a radical idea for his ideal state: banishing most poets. He believed poets, like Homer, created art that imitated appearances rather than true reality, potentially corrupting citizens by appealing to emotions over reason. This threatened the rigid social structure he envisioned, where philosopher-kings needed unwavering focus on justice. Plato argued that art's distortions could undermine societal harmony and mislead the young. While not a literal expulsion, this ban would limit poetry to hymns praising gods and virtues, aligning it with state ideology. This highlights the ancient tension between artistic freedom and philosophical control.