A Study on the Relation of ‘Mousike’ Education and the Reason: In the Light of the Contents of Poetry

This study was designed to clarify the relation of ‘mousike’ education in the Republic of Plato and the development of Reason, focusing on the education of poetry. Mousike is composed of works of art, and is considered as the foundation of the development of reason. According to Gadamer, works of art make it possible to possess the truth, in the sense that they bring to light what is otherwise constantly hidden and withdrawn. This gives support of the argument of Plato that Mousike makes foundation of reason. However, in interpreting on the poetry of Homer, Gadamer’s theory of arts is not sufficient to explain mousike education. Plato, criticizing the poetry of Homer, insists that God isn’t the cause of all things but only of good ones. Plato’s sense of good poetry is able to arouse ‘transcendental imagination’. In virtue of it, a learner of a good poetry, instead of obsessing over the particular images in the poetry, conceive of ‘the Good’. Furthermore, a learner of Mousike is able to understand one’s life in the light of the idea of the Good. In virtue of the transcendental imagination, one is able to think of the universal beyond the particulars given by way of sensation as well as acquire the self-understanding which can recognize the ignorance of oneself. Mousike Education makes it possible for a learner to develop reason through transcendental imagination and selfunderstanding.